A Heroes Of Olympus Fanfic - The Blood Of Olympus
by PrimordialOfBlueFood
Summary: After Tartarus and near destruction, the Argo II is making its way towards Gaia - to decide the heroes' inevitable fates. But indescribable dangers are lurking on the path ahead, and they must survive, because the world is dependent on them. These are the final times of pain and insecurity. These are the final times of having to run, hide or fight for their lives. This is the end.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**So... Hi... Uhm, this is my first time writing down my fan fiction, I normally just draw characters and stuff... Hope you like the first part of the story :)...**

"But I don't understand why!"

The girl was blatantly hostile now.

"It -" the goddess couldn't bring herself to say it. The child had already been pushed past the limits. "Because, dear, you are... Different," she spoke hesitantly.

"Different?" Mageía screamed. "Hestia, you know how it feels! To be ignored! Nobody ever noticing what you do or say!" She gasped for breath. "But, wait!" She sneered, "people do notice you, and they talk to you too! Nice, long, hearty conversations. Me, I get a 'hi'. Then it's like I never existed. No 'how are you?', or 'how was your day?'. Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all."

Her chest was heaving, and her eyes were wild, the pupils constricted to pinpricks, in pools of damson streaked with silver. Not grey, but pure, metallic silver, as if someone had taken mercury and drawn spirals into her eyes.

"Well, they aren't fully capable of seeing your true potential," Hestia began explaining. "You are much more powerful than they are, you just haven't realized it. If only you knew-"

"If only I knew? If only I knew what, exactly?" Her voice was now a whisper, barely audible through the din of the background. It had a doubtful quality, and was actually quite sinister. "All my life, I have been through more than you have, in your three millennia of living," she said. "I've been chased and hunted down by monsters, cornered and surrounded... and alone. Always alone."

Mageía looked down.

"All these children here," she began, "they have parents, and they know who they are. I, on the other hand, don't have parents. Ever since I can remember I've been solitary. Working by myself, for myself. It's been less than a week, and I know I don't belong here. I don't even know how I got in. They say it's because I'm a half-blood. But I have no powers or skills remotely close to theirs. I've never been special, and I never will be."

Hestia waited for her to carry on, but she didn't. So she said, gently, "that is because you are unique."

Mageía looked up. She was dangerously calm. After she had displayed such huge emotion, it seemed strange she could be so steady.

"You say that I'm different. That I am powerful. That I have 'true potential'. How do I know that? How do I prove myself?"

She had a steely determination in her eyes.

Hestia regarded the 13 year old with a hint of sorrow. "That, I cannot say. But I can give you a guide. You may choose to, or not to, follow it. What you do during and afterwards is beyond my help."

"When do I start?" Mageía asked. She was extremely excited. Hestia could see it in her poise, the way she was bouncing on the balls of her feet, and her eyes, which had a new, brighter, happier shine, and there was the hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"When you are ready," Hestia stated, quite simply.

"I am ready," said the child, very eager.

"Are you?" asked Hestia, smiling slightly at her willingness.

"Yes," said Mageía, a little impatient

"Have you anything for the journey?"

"I have no possessions. I carry my own weight, and that's all."

"And provisions? Food and water?"

"I'll get it along the way," Mageía's face fell. She was quite confused. She had absolutely no idea why the goddess was being so motherly, making sure she was prepared.

"If you say so. But you might need a weapon," she said.

Mageía blushed and muttered, "Oh. Yes. Well, I forgot about that..."

"So it seems. You do not have one of your own?"

"No," the girl's excitement had been dimmed now and she was trying to hide her sadness.

"Then I think this will do."

Mageía lifted her head slightly, then jerked it upwards, as she saw a light shimmering in the air above her.

The light grew and expanded, throwing flame-like ribbons that caught the light in a mesmerizing way. Mageía couldn't believe her eyes. The sight was one of such beauty that she thought it wasn't real. To test that, she reached out her hand, tentatively, and her fingertips just brushed one of the tendrils. Immediately, her eyes squeezed shut, her arm pulled away, her legs stumbled back and her mouth opened to let out a strangled cry of pain.

She haltingly peeked through her lashes at her clenched hand. She sighed in relief, then did a double take and widened her eyes. Her fingers were reddening, swelling up and forming blisters.

She sighed again, this time in exasperation, for this what what had happened to her all her life. Her curiosity always got the better of her.

Then she glanced at the flames again. They were now weaving themselves together, forming a precise, pretty pattern. As she watched, it lengthened to about a metre and a half, and was given an intricately designed handle and grip.

The glow dimmed, growing smaller and smaller until only the sword remained, with a slight luminescence about it. When she looked closely, Mageía could see that the blade was slightly curved. It looked heavy and she thought she would look clumsy holding it, but she picked it up anyway. It was surprisingly light and comfortable in her hand, and the grip was perfectly fitted for her hand.

"It is a makhaira," said Hestia, a hint of affection in her voice. "Made purely of fire, it is a weapon normally used for cavalry, but I found it the perfect match for you."

"It's... Beautiful," whispered Mageía. There were truly no other words to describe it.

"Now, you are ready," said Hestia.

"Thank you, Lady Hestia," Mageía said as she looked the goddess straight in the eyes. Fires burned brightly in them, but they weren't vicious. They were warm, friendly and inviting. Some might even say homely, but Mageía wouldn't know; she had never had a home.

"It is only my greatest pleasure."

And Mageía took off, bounding with long, easy strides, to the boundary of Camp Half Blood. She took one last look back, and whirled around. In a matter of seconds, she was out of sight.

"Go well, child," Hestia murmured, and as she turned, a single flame seemed to detach itself from her auburn locks, and it sped off in the direction of the the girl, pulsing, like a heartbeat, and shrinking, as it went further and further away, and led a child, though not knowingly, to her doom.

**To all those people that found this chapter boring, sorry, but it was just introducing my own character and it is ONLY the beginning, so please don't judge so soon... **

**Thanks for reading ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello there! So, 1st chapter here. It didn't take me that long to do 'cause I had a ton of free lessons yesterday and I was just touching up today. Please, please, please review! Thanks, and enjoy reading!**

Chapter 1

Leo

Leo was mad.

Mad at Gaia for making this whole mess, mad at the gods for not doing their own dirty work, mad at Percy for abandoning Calypso and mad at his mind for having such a short attention span.

He didn't know where that last part came from, but it sure was irritating.

He had been manning the ship, not doing much, just holding his Wii remote and watching the sea. Then he had been struck by the flash of a great idea.

He had spun his Wii remote to put the ship on autopilot then raced across deck, skidding and nearly falling flat on his face, leaping down the stairs, almost crashing onto his butt, bounding through the corridor and down the second set of stairs, tumbling head over heels and landing on his back.

He stared up at the ceiling, swearing, the curses getting steadily more creative. He nearly lost his terrific thought, and mentally scolded himself for being so stupid.

Leo scrambled to his legs and took of again, sprinting at full speed into the engine room.

He then madly rushed towards his desk, which was crammed and cluttered with drawings and sketches of various new additions for the ship. He started rummaging through drawers, flinging papers full of notes over his shoulder.

There can't be no more plain pieces of paper, he thought.

He flipped through files and threw blueprints off the table. He emptied whole drawers and cleared the table top looking for a blank page.

"Holy Hephaestus," he sighed, "so it's come to this."

Leo turned around and studied the room. Everything was as it had been before: the machines humming; the wires snaking across the floor; the pipes hanging from the ceiling and curled in swirls on the ground; the warm, reddish, orangey glow of the lights. Then he turned again and stumbled back.

"What have I done?" He whispered.

All his precious notes and sketches were either floating lazily through the air, or littered aimlessly across the floor. His files had been almost torn apart, and the contents were hidden among the tons of other blueprints. The table was completely devoid of paper - or anything else, for that matter.

He nearly screamed.

"Oh, no," he murmured.

Then he yelled, not mentally, but actually, physically yelled, at the top of his lungs.

He began frantically searching, making the mess even more pronounced, cursing, berating himself for being an idiot, once more. He heard footsteps and voices coming in the direction of the engine room, but they were dim, as if from far, far away.

He didn't pay attention to where he was going, and ended up tripping over a wire, and slicing his eyebrow with a stray piece of Celestial Bronze.

"Dammit," he said, "why is it always me?"

He pushed himself off the floor and found himself face to face with an angry Piper. And an angry Piper wasn't that great a sight. Especially when an angry Piper was wearing a pyjama top, denim shorts and an oversized baseball jacket, with ruffled up hair that looked like a birds nest and multi-coloured eyes which were glowing a terrifying red.

"What in Hades are you doing?" She asked, quite unimpressed.

"I - well, I... You see, I - uhm..." Leo stuttered and stumbled over his words.

Piper laughed, and gently punched him on the shoulder. "You thought I was angry? Nah. Well, yeah, maybe a little, but not really. I mean, it wasn't that bad. You wake me up in the middle of the night, thundering down the corridor like a herd of elephants, in the first - and probably last - time I've had to rest. Nah, nothing bad."

Leo exhaled in relief.

Then Piper giggled, although good naturedly.

"What's up?" Leo asked.

She couldn't meet his eyes. "Oh, nothing. Well, let's just say you look less than splendid right now."

"Wha-"

When Leo looked down he groaned. His clothes were ripped, from running past the Celestial Bronze that filled the room. They were also covered in grease, and had a few pencils hanging off them, piercing the fabric. He touched his forehead and his hand came away sticky and smeared in blood.

"Ouch," he said.

"Oh, Leo," Piper sighed, in a very sisterly way. She peered over his shoulder. "You were looking for something."

She said it not as a question, but as a statement, announcing what she thought.

"Oh holy -"

"Mind your language, Leo!"

"Uh, sorry, Pipes," he grinned.

She frowned at him. He knew she hated being called that.

"What for?" She carried on, as if that moment hadn't happened.

"Oh... Well, it wasn't anything important -"

"And yet you've messed up this entire area looking for it?" Piper asked, skeptically.

Leo gave in. "Well it was paper..."

"And then?"

"Uh... My... My astrolabe."

"Astrolabe?"

"Yeah..." He didn't elaborate.

"What's it look like?"

"Well... Round."

"Round?" she said, feigning interest.

"Yep. Round. And bronze -"

"Celestial Bronze?"

"Yes." Said Leo. He wasn't very good at explaining in detail, unless he had the chance to draw. "D'you think you could help me find it?"

"Mm hmm," said Piper.

She took a ball out of her pocket and started throwing it in the air and catching it, always making the catches at the last second, just before it hit the ground. Then, around the fifth time, she didn't throw it straight back up. She aimed instead at Leo's head, meaning for him to catch it.

"Gah!" Leo exclaimed in surprise. He clutched his head. It was throbbing, and he could feel a lump forming on his hairline. "Geez, Beauty Queen, warn me next time you try to give me a concussion."

"Heh, maybe. So, is that it?"

"What do you mean?"

"That round, bronze thing that I tried to give you a concussion with. Is that it? The astrolabe?"

Leo turned around and gasped. He knelt and swiped the sphere off the floor, then cradled it in his arms.

"Where'd you find it?" he asked, softly.

"Over there," Piper pointed to a spot next to one of the machines in the corner. "It must've rolled there when you were..." She giggled. It sounded so girly, Leo was surprised the sound was coming from her. "Looking for -" she broke off laughing.

"How's it funny?"

"Just 'cause it's you, Leo," she told him.

He frowned. Then he decided it really wasn't funny at all.

"You could've broken it!" He scolded Piper. "As it is, it already needs to be fixed! Damn, Piper. Why?"

"Geez, sorry Leo. Didn't know it meant so much to you," she said it in an offhand way, but you could hear she was regretting what she had done.

"Listen, it's cool. It isn't broken, see?"

He held up the bronze ball for her to see.

"What is it, anyway?" Piper asked, truly curious.

"It's a kind of navigation device," he explained.

"Oh, I see."

"Mm hmm," Leo said, looking wistfully at the object in his hands.

"Does this have, uh, anything to do with, well, you know... Where you went..."

Leo sighed. It was a deep sigh, filled with melancholy.

"Yeah. I - It means a lot to me, because, well, if I ever want to get there again... This will guide me," he said. He looked up at Piper, and she could see the sorrow in his eyes. Ever since he had come back, he had been so different. He had changed so much.

"Ok," Piper said, quite simply. "I think I'll go back to bed now," she said. "Call me if you, you know, need any help, or anything."

Then she hastily rushed off, leaving Leo alone.

"Oh, great. All this for nothing," he muttered. He had lost the awesome thought that had brought him here in the first place.

Then his train of thought changed tracks, and he pondered something that was always on his mind, whenever he was, well, solitary. With no one else around him.

Am I really always going to be the seventh wheel? He wondered to himself.

I guess I will be. I'm always alone. Always.

And he was.

Again.

**Thanks again! Please review, and keep reading, 'cause that is my inspiration. If you have any ideas or tips or hints then please let me know :) **


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey there. Sorry for the delay. And to all those who saw the last update... Sorry... My iPad glitched and ended up... Doing something weird. Sorry. So hope you like the chapter. Please please please review review review... It means a lot to me. Thanks**

Chapter 2

Piper

When Piper came to check on Leo, he was fast asleep, curled in a ball on the floor. He was surrounded by the heaps of files and notes that he had sorted out after his epic search for paper. And in his arms, held protectively against his chest, was the astrolabe.

Piper still had no idea why he would want to get back to that island where he had gotten marooned. She was sure he had met someone, but still, the idea that he would actually want to go back...

She had pondered it for a while, as she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had stuck little photos and notes in a collage there.

There were ones of her, Jason and Leo, in 'the good old days', as they liked to call it. There were ones of Percy and Annabeth, before Tartarus; they looked so happy together. There was even one of Hazel, Frank and Percy, standing together and joking around. And the biggest of all, one of all seven, posing and making funny faces, probably the only time they would ever have time to do that together.

The notes were little things, memories, just to remind her of her father, her trips and adventures, and just her life in particular.

She had stuck all this up there on the ceiling because, quite often, she would find herself unable to sleep, just glaring at the wood above her.

This day, as she had been watching the ceiling, she had thought about Leo. Why he was so sad these days, yet so lighthearted at times, and how he could raise everyone's spirits. He was such a lovely person, with a beautiful personality. He definitely deserved more than what he got.

But now, while he lay on the floor, he looked so peaceful that Piper had to resist the urge not to stroke his hair and stare at him.

She saw his lips move and knelt down.

"I'm coming back for you, Calypso. I swear it on the river Styx."

She gasped and fell back against the wall.

"Calypso," she murmured.

She racked her brain, trying to figure out where she had heard that name before. Then it clicked. Island. Calypso.

Calypso was the immortal daughter of Atlas. She had been imprisoned on an island because she had fought with her father in the first Titan war. Once every few years - centuries, actually - she would be visited by someone she couldn't help but fall in love with. All the greatest heroes. And no one ever found the island twice.

What was the name of the island? Piper wondered. Something like Olive. No, Orange. No, Ogygia. Yeah, that's it, Ogygia.

And just as she finished that thought, the ship lurched to the side.

Piper was thrown on top of Leo, who let out a short breath of surprise.

"Pi- Pipe- er- can't, brea- eathe- off me," he struggled to say.

"Oh my gods, Leo, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, it's just I came to check on you, and then the ship rocked and I got thrown into you, and, oh, I'm so, so sorry!" She said, as she leaped into the air and spun around to look at him. "Here, let me help you up," she said, and offered him her hand.

"Woah, Beauty Queen. That's twice in one day you've almost killed me," he muttered, but he didn't really seem bothered about it.

"We'd better go check what's happening, don't you think?"

"Yeah. I guess."

So they rushed up to the deck, where the others were already waiting.

"About time you guys showed up," Percy joked.

Piper ignored him. "What was that?"

"I'm not sure exactly..." Murmured Annabeth.

"But..." Frank urged her on.

"It's something big," commented Jason.

"No, hey, it's tiny," Leo threw at him.

"Well, I can't be certain, but I think it's a Cetea," Annabeth continued, ignoring the boys.

"Sea tea?" Hazel asked, mishearing Annabeth.

"No, Cetea," Annabeth pronounced it sea-tee-ah.

"Well -" Piper was cut off as the ship rocked violently.

The seven glanced uneasily at the water lapping against the hull of the boat.

"What was -" and she was cut off yet again.

This time, though, it was from an eruption of water to the left of the crew. It showered them all in a salty spray, drenching them thoroughly.

The creature in front of them was definitely a horrific sight to behold. It's body was a mass of glittering ebony scales, slick with slime. It's whale like tail came down hard on the ocean, making a thunderous sound and drowning out all other noise. Its spine was covered in jagged spikes, from the base of its neck to its tail. But the most hideous part of it was its head.

It's eyes burned an angry blood red, and they were the easily the size of a 4x4's wheels. Its ears and nose were ugly slits on its face. And its mouth... Its mouth was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of glistening ivory coloured teeth, each as long as Piper's forearm. And they were bared in a ferocious grin on the monsters face.

But she didn't have much time to admire the grizzly beast. As soon as it saw them, it brought itself crashing to the deck, nearly flattening a surprised looking Leo, whom she tackled just in time. It then straightened as the crew ran around wildly, getting their weapons and preparing themselves.

As soon as Leo was up, he rushed to the controls, and saw that Festus had powered down. She heard him cursing, but her attention was quickly focused on the matter at hand.

She grabbed her new Celestial Bronze sword, which radiated cold, and spun around to face her target. A crate filled to the brim with vials of Greek fire. She sprinted at full speed towards it, and just as she lunged the last few meters, she was crushed by the full force of a giant head on her lower back and legs.

She screamed in agony, her entire lower body flaring and pulsing. She could hear her heartbeat thundering in her ears, seeming to shake the whole world. Her eyes were unfocused, shaky, and her vision was blurry.

"Piper!" she heard Jason yell, his voice full of concern.

The head lifted off her and the cold air soothed the fiery pain. But only slightly.

Jason rushed to her side, his sword at the ready, and inspected her wounds.

He winced. "You're going to have to rest. You're in no condition to fight... Or to do anything for that matter," he looked at her worriedly. "Here, I'll help you," he said gently. He took her hand and pulled her off to the far corner of the ship, near the figurehead, Festus. "Stay here." Then he rushed off, leaving her alone and helpless.

The fight then went in a blur before her. It seemed as though she was seeing it through another persons eyes.

Percy roared, and the water exploded around the Cetea, creating a whirlpool that sucked it towards the ocean floor.

Hazel went in whenever the beast came close to the ship, jabbing at whatever bit of monster she could find. The scales didn't seem indestructible, but they were extremely hard to pierce.

Frank had disappeared, only to be replaced by a golden eagle that pecked at the monsters face and eyes, turning its head into a bloody mess.

Annabeth had somehow jumped onto the monsters back, and was now stabbing it in between its spikes at soft spots that she found. Her sword was impossibly sharp and quite beautiful, though now, splattered with blood, it looked scary.

And Then there was Jason... Oh, Jason... He was just perfection. Almost too perfect at times. Now he was flying around the monster, jabbing at it whenever he could, other times sending bolts of lightning towards it screeching mouth. His beautifully blonde hair turned a stunning silver in the moonlight. And every time a bolt of lightning struck the Cetea, his face was illuminated.

The fight seemed very one sided, no doubt about that.

Then Piper cursed herself for thinking that way. She always managed to mess things up, and she definitely did so now. Just as the thought left her mind, the Cetea growled, a low, terrifying sound that made Pipre's heart crawl onto her throat.

The beast shook itself wildly, throwing Annabeth off its back and sending her crashing into the mast. She let out a strangled cry as she dropped and hit the deck hard.

Percy, his exhaustion overwhelming him, ran to Annabeth's side. He dropped to his knees and stroked her hair, whispering to her.

Then the monster started biting the air ferociously, catching Frank's wing and sending him spiraling out of control, shrieking in pain.

The Cetea then spotted Hazel, who was running around madly trying to help, hurling bronze, gold, and any other metal or gem she could find, straight at it. It drove its head right down towards her, mouth open wide. It found itself stuck and unable to move, for its jaws were wedged tightly in the deck. It let out a guttural shriek and Hazel fell to the ground inside the beats maw, squeezing her hands to her ears, trying to block out the noise.

"No!" Piper heard herself yelling.

The monster was now trying to close its mouth on her friend, and it's teeth were nearly touching her. Hazel moved her leg ever so slightly, and got grazed by one of the razor sharp blades surrounding her. Then she lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with an anger so intense, they seemed to glow fiercely, tuning them into molten gold pools. She screamed.

All the metal of the ship rushed towards her. Piper's own sword nearly got yanked out of her hand, and her dagger out of her belt, but she held them there. The metals came flying past her, a hurricane of bronze and gold. They impaled themselves in the monster's head, sinking fully into its flesh. Then Hazel ducked out from under the monster and ran to Frank, who had turned back into a human, and was lying with his arm across his chest, mauled and bloody.

Unfortunately, the monster was still alive.

And this time, Leo did the honors. He was truly amazing. As the monster tugged its head free, it roared. And as it's mouth opened, Leo yelled, "Eat fire, ya stupid monster!" And he chucked a strange contraption down its throat.

The Cetea gagged, its snake like body writhing and squirming. Its head then miraculously fell off, and its form exploded into dust.

Piper blinked. It hadn't been her imagination. Leo had done it.

She looked around at her friends, all battered and bruised, a little but more than they had expected, especially on the first day of their voyage.

Jason had flown down to her and hugged her. She had pushed him back and looked into his eyes, then pulled him into a kiss. She kissed him long and hard, savouring his presence, making sure that her boyfriend was there, his solidness for her air headedness - sometimes the other way around, though. She pulled away first, a little breathless, and she murmured, "I love you.

"I love you, too, Pipes," he whispered, tickling her ear.

She was so glad he was here. She pulled him closer to her and he buried his head in her shoulder.

She gazed around again. They were all together, all seven of them, even if they were split into their little couples. Herself and Jason, Percy and Annabeth, Hazel and Frank... And Leo. Leo was like their brother, always joking around and making everyone happy, looking on the bright side of life. Aside from that, though, Leo was alone. He needed someone for himself. He needed...

Calypso.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi again, update today, I'm so happy! Wow, I never thought I would even make it this far... I like this chapter... Sorta... It's a nice one, I think, although i liked the last one better. Ok, so I'm not going to rant or anything, but, yeah, the usual. Pleas please please review. It makes my day and really inspires me and gives me hope. It makes me want to carry on. **

**Oh, and a special thanks to ****_forevrskysong_****, who is just the most awesome person ever. Thanks for reviewing, and in this chapter, I don't think I used "though" that much. And there aren't any spelling errors. Oh, and, last I checked, poise is a word. In my dictionary. The UK dictionary... See, it's different from the American one, and it has different words. So if you think there are any spelling errors, please say so, and I'll check and make sure. Thanks again!**

**Thanks for reading, guys. Enjoy! **

Chapter 3

Nico

Nico managed a soft landing. Well, as soft as you can get when you fall from 8 metres in the air.

He'd been aiming for a riverbed, but he'd gotten the cliff right next to one. Luckily, they didn't fall from the top, instead they fell from a few metres under halfway. The soft sand of the river offered a squishy, uncomfortable landing, but at least he hadn't become a demigod pancake in the middle of nowhere.

He jerked himself up, spitting the mud out of his mouth. It really had been a less than pleasant landing. He tried to tug his legs out of the ground but they wouldn't budge; they were stuck quite solidly in the sand. In fact, he couldn't even feel his feet.

So he settled for squeezing out his dark, thick, shoulder length locks, scraping his pale skin clean, and emptying his shirt of dirt.

Just a quick glimpse around showed him the beauty of the valley.

_Grover would love this place_, he thought.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and madly turned, trying and failing to reach his sword, which had skittered a few metres away. He cursed, and remained empty handed, balling his hands into fists.

Then he saw that it was only Reyna and Coach Hedge; they, too, had been struggling to extricate themselves from the ground.

He moaned, loudly, and Reyna turned towards him, frowning.

"Great work!" She shouted across at him. "I couldn't think of a better place to land. A stupid riverbed with hardly any water! Now, you think you could get us out of it?"

"Geez, calm down," Nico said. His voice was unnaturally soft, so Reyna couldn't hear him.

"What?" She yelled back at him. "I can't hear you!"

Nico was sure she was pretty annoyed with him, but he was surprised the grumpy old satyr hadn't uttered a word yet.

"Hey, Coach, you okay?" He asked.

"There ain't any damn water," Nico heard him mutter. He wasn't very good at keeping his vice down.

"Hey, Coach, you okay?" He shouted, a lot louder this time.

"Huh? What? Oh. Yeah. Yeah! I'm okay!"

"Good to know," murmured Nico.

The other two seemed to have stopped trying, and were now lying forlornly with half their bodies invisible. It really was quite a sight. But not funny enough for Nico to even show the shadow of a smile.

He looked directly above him. The moon was blocked by a massive structure. The Athena Parthenos obscured his vision, and darkened the shadows.

_Shadows_, he thought. _Oh, clever me_.

He then concentrated really hard on a point a little farther away from his 'grave' and willed himself to appear there. It didn't work for some time; he had to strain himself, and, in the end, when he did find himself in that place, he had beads of sweat rolling down his lean, hollow cheeks.

"Hades' underpants..." He said, "I never thought it would be so hard."

He heard clapping coming from where his... 'Friends' were.

He looked over at them and actually smiled, although it disappeared quite quickly. He shook his head at them, and they raised their eyebrows.

"Hey, cupcake, you gonna get us out of here, or what? I can't feel my hooves!" Coach Hedge complained.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Nico said, more to himself than anything. He couldn't get his mind off Percy.

Wow. That guy... He had been so much in Nico's life, and, gods of Olympus, he still was. But, even after his meeting with the god of love, Cupid, he couldn't face his feelings. They were more muddled up and strange than ever now: that heart wrenching tug that he got whenever he thought of Percy had dimmed a bit; he didn't have to try so hard when he pushed his feelings away into the heavily padlocked chest at the back of his mind; he found it more difficult to concentrate on destinations when he was shadow traveling; and, most peculiarly, he had started to notice things about... Girls.

He didn't notice he had reached his friend until he tripped over one of their arms.

"Ugh," he muttered.

"That is one Minerva - i mean, Athena - worthy smarty pants we got here, don't you think, Coach?" He heard Reyna say. She was really giving him a hard time, but she was grinning slightly, which surprised him; she was such a reserved, strict person... At first sight, that is. She looked quite lighthearted, which shocked him even more. They _were_ on a quest that might result in their deaths...

_Oh well_, he thought, _might as well make the best of what time we have left._

But instead of going directly to them, he inspected their surroundings. Beautiful vegetation was bursting from every corner, making a sort of green waterfall of the side of the top of the cliff. He had never been a fan of wildlife, but he had to admire the sheer splendor of the valley they were in.

He spotted a little cave at the base of the cliff, and peered cautiously at it, scrutinizing it for any sign of danger. He found none, so he carried on his inspection. He saw that the clearing they were in was about 20 metres in diameter, quite a cosy little space.

He sighed, and glared at his accomplices. They weren't exactly friends, but they were all he had at the moment, so he was willing to help them in return for the same favour.

He took Coach Hedge first, just to see what Reyna's reaction would be. She grunted indignantly, and glared at him.

"Have you never heard of 'Ladies first'?" She asked him.

"Well, now that you mention it, I don't remember. And I thought you were happy there?" He posed it as a question, but she gave no answer. Instead, she just flipped off the poor boy.

He started, quite stunned at her. Then he shook his head at her and dissolved into the shadows.

He trudged back to her from where he had landed, which was right underneath the giant bosom of the Athena Parthenos. He had left Coach Hedge in the darkness, and the satyr hadn't moved. He had kept muttering to himself about moonlight being worse than sunlight and there being next to no water in the riverbed. Nico hadn't bothered to ask, because he knew he wouldn't have gotten a straight answer.

He took Reyna's hand, which sent a pleasant tingling sensation up his arm, and through his whole body. He gloried in it for a few moments, then realized that the girl was staring at him with her head cocked slightly to one side. Her dark eyes glistened with curiosity, but, weirdly enough, she hadn't let go of his hand. He found himself unknowingly swimming in her eyes, trying to get to the depths of the chocolate pools to find the secrets underneath solid colour. All he got was a hint of bitterness, just as one would find in dark, cocoa rich chocolate.

He blushed, and he could feel his cheeks burning.

She smiled knowingly up at him, and he calmed down, only slightly, though.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied, but slightly... What was it? He couldn't quite place the emotion that he heard in her voice. Contempt? Doubt? Sorrow?

He had always considered himself master of all cold, horrid feelings, as he had experienced most of them firsthand. But now, he wasn't quite sure about it.

He cleared his mind, shoving everything back into the chest, and willed the two of them to appear next to Coach Hedge.

When they reappeared, Nico stumbled, and Reyna squeezed his hand, pulling him towards her, using her other hand to hold him steady.

"Thanks," he barely managed to speak.

"You should rest. You don't want to be like this when we have to fight. And even if you don't fight, it's not like we could make a quick getaway. You wouldn't have the strength to shadow travel even a metre," she said all this quite gently, all the while holding Nico up, close to her.

He was so close to her, he could smell her sweet yet spicy fragrance. Her warmth was so comforting, so welcome after all the cold he had endured, he felt himself slipping again.

He mentally chided himself for being so stupid. He didn't like her. He couldn't like her. And what about Percy?

_Yes, what about Percy_, another presence in his mind spoke. He had never heard it before in his entire life. And that was saying something, looking at his past.

_Percy- he's just... Different, I guess. _

_Is he? Is he really that different?_ The voice sneered.

_Yes! He's amazing. I mean, well, he did save the world and everything..._

Nico couldn't believe he was having this conversation with himself. He never let himself think about Percy... Never.

He tried to push his evil conscience out of his head, but it stood just as solidly as before.

_Get out,_ he mentally growled.

_You cannot make me leave. After all I am you. Your deepest thoughts hopes and fears, all combined into one, perfect creature. Me._ There was a horrid cackling laugh that seemed to echo in his ears, and he felt himself falling into darkness, spiraling into the deepest darkest parts of his most horrible and terrifying thoughts.

"Nico!" He heard a voice, but it was very far away.

"Nico!" Again, this time slightly louder. A hint of light came into his mind.

"Oh come on, Nico!" Yet another time he heard someone calling his name, though quite close this time. Another streak of light broke through the darkness.

And then, as if it was shouted in his ear, two voices called him, filled to the brim with desperation and worry. His mind exploded into a million shards of ebony glass, light streaming through the gaps and reflecting off the shiny surfaces.

His eyes fluttered open, and he found himself face to face with an anxious Reyna and a seemingly angry Coach Hedge.

"Gods of Olympus, boy, why'd you do that? Nearly gave the poor girl a heart attack," he scolded Nico, gesturing a Reyna.

She glanced away, shutting her eyes. Nico saw her mouth tighten, and when she turned again to look at him, there was a sturdy wall blocking him from her.

He was just thinking about how exhausted he was, when he heard a vicious howl. One he was all too familiar with.

He untangled himself from Reyna's arms, and staggered forward, to where the moonlight was shining brightly on the ground. He crouched slightly, and made his way forward towards his sword haltingly. When he reached it, he scooped it up, thankful for the familiar weight of the cold sword in his hand.

He spun around. He had heard a noise coming from the scrub off to the left of his group of... Gee, he really had no idea what to call them. It confused him. What _were_ they to him?

He realized his mistake too late. As he blinked he saw enormous black shapes hurtling towards them at full speed. Eight, to be exact.

And one was barreling straight towards him, too fast for him to react.

It was on top of him in a matter of milliseconds.

And as it snarled ferociously in his face, he saw his life flash before his eyes.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey there! To all those who saw that epic fail of my copy n paste, sorry! *stupid ipad!* **

**Anyways, hehehe, here is Mageía! You know she's an awesome charcter, really, but she scares me. The things I've thought up about her are scary, that is. but you'll get to see a bit of that soon enough!**

**A huge thanks to DaughterOfAthena! You are a truly awesome person! Oh, and I am terribly sorry about that whole fake DoA thing... It really shocked me... :'( **

**Anyways, guys, the usual, please please please review! Enjoy reading! :)**

Chapter 4

Mageía

By the time she stopped to rest, she could barely breathe properly, much less stand upright.

Mageía collapsed, resting her lean, sweaty body against the huge oak she had come across. She stroked its lowest bough, whispering to it.

"You really are beautiful," she said, "I wonder how long you've been here? Must have been quite long, huh? You're magnificent!"

She wondered if she was delirious. She didn't think that she was, but she might have been.

The orb pulsed pleasantly and flew around her head in circles, making her slightly dizzy.

"Hey, little guy. What's your name?" Mageía asked softly, gently.

The orb pulsed urgently, glowing with a glorious gold light.

A song started playing in Mageía's head. She wondered where she had heard it before, or if she had ever even heard it.

'_I wanna make your heart beat_

_I love it when it beats for me, yeah_

_I wanna make your heart beat_

_I love it when it beats for me, yeah_

_Oh I'mma make sure that you feel alive_

_I'mma make sure that you feel alive_

_I'mma make sure, I'mma make sure_

_I'mma make sure that you feel alive_

_I wanna raise pulses'_

"Pulses?" She asked tentatively.

The tree seemed to be listening and it's leaves rustled slightly.

The orb pulsed once, this time glowing a brighter than ever before, illuminating Mageía's face in the darkness of the night.

"Pulse!" She exclaimed.

'_Yes_, a voice spoke in her head. It was a smooth, buttery voice, bristling with love and compassion. It was the sweetest boy's voice she had ever heard.

"You - you can talk?" She asked incredulously.

_Well, not exactly, but in your head, yes._ The voice answered her patiently.

"Who... Who are you, really?" Mageía asked, curiosity evident in her words.

_It's complicated... _

"Is it really?" Mageía asked sadly.

_Yes, but I will tell you_, the voice said gently.

"You... You will?"

_Of course... anything for you._

Mageía gasped. "Really? Oh, thank you."

The orb glowed brightly and snuggles into her hair, making her carmine coloured hair shine scarlet. The black lock above her brow shone with a white light, though.

That piece of hair had always made her stick out like a sore thumb. All her hair was red, and not orange red, like a normal redhead, but carmine. She had always pondered why she looked the way she did, which came to her thinking about who her parents really were.

She was a strange girl, and had often looked in the mirror and started, surprised by her looks. Her hair was quite long - hip length, to be exact -bouncy and wavy, and even when it grew, the black streak would stay black and the red part would stay red. Her eyes were scary. At least, that's what she thought. How could she have purple eyes? Even if they were nearly black, they were purple, and streaked with silver. That was just crazy. Her lips were too uneven for her liking, and her nose was too small. Her eyebrows were thick and perfectly shaped but she didn't like them. And her body... Wow... She had always thought she had way too many curves, although she wasn't fat at all. It was just that her waist was too far in, her calves were too round, and her legs were naturally curved. Seriously, curved. When she walked or stood, not one part of her legs touched, except her ankles.

Yes, she was fit, perfectly healthy and quite pretty, but she hated herself. She just didn't feel right.

She bent her head down to peer at the ball of light through strands of her hair.

She stroked him with a finger and instantly she was pulled into his thoughts.

A boy stood alone at the peak of a mountain inspecting the landscape below. There was a cosy little village nestled at the base of the surrounding mountains.

_That was my home_, her orb spoke. _And that... That was me. _

The boy turned around, but looked straight through her. Just like his voice, he was beautiful. His golden shoulder length hair blew across his face. His eyes were green, but not a normal green. They were turquoise that leaned more to the green side. He looked as if he had been crying, his eyes streaked with red.

He seemed to be looking at a spot directly behind Mageía, and she turned.

Before her was the one and only Hestia herself, looking at the boy. The goddess was burning fiercely, but her eyes betrayed her emotions. She was staring solemnly and sadly and there was a hint of regret in her eyes.

"It does not have to be this way," Hestia spoke softly.

"No, it has to be this way. This is my punishment. I could not live with this worry and doubt on my shoulders," the boy spoke with a voice filled with knowledge and pain beyond his years.

Mageía stared at him, then glanced at Hestia and back to the boy. Tears had started welling up in her eyes, for she feared what was going to happen next. She saw the boy running and Hestia calling out his name, screaming, "Aeschylus, no!"

And then she was back where she had been originally, slumped against the tree, holding her tears in.

It was so difficult. She had never ever cried. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling it was dangerous, and she didn't want to find out how.

She stroked the orb, caressing him and whispering words of comfort to him.

"It's alright. You did a noble thing, I could never have done that. I would be too afraid... You were magnificent... In all possible ways..."

Then Mageía heard a twig snap behind her, and a girls voice shriek in pain. She staggered upright, a little dizzy at first, swaying on the spot, but she shook her head clear of the spots in her eyes and turned around.

There, trying to hide, and failing, was a girl of about her age. She had wonderfully dark green eyes, pointy ears, and a slim figure. But the peculiar thing about her was her skin. It was a bright green, streaked with dark orange and brown.

Mageía laughed, and smiled at the dryad, who had jumped in fright.

"Hey there," she said.

"H- hi," said the dryad shyly.

"What's your name?"

"Willow..."

"Willow? Really? Which tree is yours?"

Willow pointed to the huge oak that Mageía had been leaning against. It was quite ironic; an oak being named Willow. She ignored that.

"Willow, you are truly beautiful."

"You said... Said I was... Magnificent..." The last word came out soft, almost in audible, but it was said in wonder.

"Yes, you are," replied Mageía, smiling affectionately at Willow.

"I... I saw," said Willow. "I saw what you saw." Her voice was getting stronger and she was becoming more confident the more they talked.

The orb flew round the tree and knocked Mageía on the head.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed, clutching her head.

_Sorry, sorry, so sorry, I didn't mean to,_ the voice said worriedly in her head.

"It's okay."

The dryad glanced curiously at the orb. She pointed at him and said, "Aeschylus."

The orb's light dimmed, and he shied back.

Mageía frowned, and said, "we need to have a chat."

So she sat down, followed by Willow, who was extremely excited, the starlight reflecting in her eyes, making them sparkle. Then, although reluctantly, Aeschylus floated down towards them, and snuggled himself in Mageía's locks.

"So, your name is Aeschylus," she said, addressing the ball of light.

_Yes_, he whispered in her mind.

"I knew it!" Willow blurted out. She blushed furiously when Mageía looked at her, her cheeks turning a shade of deep green. "I saw everything," she explained patiently. "And I can hear him too."

"That's amazing... But how?" Asked Mageía.

"I'm not sure, but I just can."

_She is special_, commented Aeschylus.

"Yes. You are very special, Willow," agreed Mageía. "How old are you?"

The dryads eyes widened, so much so that they were bigger than her open mouth. "Wow... That's complicated." She narrowed her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows and pursing her lips. "I'm... Nearly 15," she said looking at Mageía proudly.

Mageía looked from the girl to the gigantic tree that they were sitting under.

"Nearly 15?" She asked, incredulously.

"Yes. Well, in my years."

And in human years? Asked Aeschylus.

"Hmmm... Well, we mature about 4 times slower than humans, because time for a tree is very different from time for a human. Let's see, so that means I'm actually..."

It took her ages to figure it out. Minute after minute passed, but Mageía didn't have the heart to tell her how old she was. She felt like Willow had to work it out for herself. Meanwhile, she had a silent conversation with Aeschylus, but she was sure the dryad was listening.

It went something like this:

_So... Aeschylus, huh? _

_Yep._

_It... It means... shame?_

_Yes._

_But why? Why would someone ever name a child shame?_

_I wasn't supposed to be. And I was a strange child. I am sure my name was something else before, but... My parents grew to be ashamed of me, and so renamed me Aeschylus._

_I'm sorry. I really am. How- how long ago did... Did you... You know. _

_No, I don't know._

_Why so smug?_

_Just say what I supposed to know._

_Fine... ... ... How long ago did you die?_

_About 237 years ago. _

_Woah. Okay... _

There was a long pause.

_So, Hestia seemed to like you, didn't she? But you couldn't have been her son. She's a maiden goddess, right?_

_Yes. But I was one of her... Favoured ones. _

_Why?_

_So inquisitive!_

_Just answer._

_I was... Different._

Mageía openly gasped. That was precisely what she had been call by the very same goddess. '_Different_'. Ugh. What a word. She gathered her thoughts, and sighed deeply. The conversation stopped after that.

It was a while before Willow finally answered.

"59 going on 60!" she shouted.

Mageía heard Aeschylus snort in her head. Really? Oh, but... You're too beautiful to be 60. A beauty like you, you look so much younger.

Mageía could imagine him smirking.

And it went on like this, questions being thrown between the three of them, and flattering comments being directed mainly at Willow, who was drinking it all in quite innocently. There was minimal contact between Mageía and Aeschylus, but they still carried on swapping stories, talking directly to Willow and indirectly to each other.

Mageía wasn't keen on ignoring her orb, but she was quite shaken, and so stayed far away.

They talked and talked until dawn, until they finally sunk down onto the ground, lying in a heap and snoring gently.

And during that brief moment of rest, Mageía had a dream.

**... Hehehe. Love and hate :') **

**Oh, oh, oh! You have to remember that "different" thing... ;) **

**mwah ha ha ha ha! (Evil laugh) :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! **

**So, I'm updating today! Whoopee! Hehehe I am happy.** **you know why? Well, first odd, I have an awesome drama exam. It's for November, but we've sorta already started planning. So, we have to make a short movie. 5-15 minutes... How awesome? Well, yeah... My groups movie is a "horror action rom-com" *breathes heavily for having said this in under 5 seconds***

**Oh, and because of the one and only! DaughterOfAthena! Girl, you are a truly awesome person. I will never be angry with you and will probably end up mentioning you in all my author's notes. Love you bae :-* you're totally awez.**

**And thanks Anon! But I'm not considering writing as a career. Maybe chartered accounting or chemistry... Writing and art and architecture on the side :)** **Enjoy reading! And review, review, review! :)**

Chapter 5

Percy

Percy groaned loudly as Annabeth poured nectar onto his various cuts and bruises. They didn't look like much, but they hurt like Hades.

Although that wasn't the full reason he was complaining.

He hadn't wanted Annabeth to bandage him up; he had wanted to bandage Annabeth up.

But, Annabeth being Annabeth, she had refused point blank.

The conversation had been very one sided. It had gone like this:

"C'mere Annabeth, lemme help you get cleaned up."

"No, Percy, I'm fine. Come here, and stay here. I'm going to get the nectar and ambrosia. Okay?" She hadn't really been asking, more just letting him know what she was going to do.

"But, Annabeth, you're a bit more beaten up than I am, I mean, hitting the mast like that... You could've died..."

"Gods of Olympus, Percy, I'm fine, already! Just stay here!" She had glared at him for a few seconds, her gray eyes becoming stormy. It had seemed as though lightning had flashed in them, which was about when he had given up and let her be.

Now, she was glaring at him.

"Stop moaning, you big baby!" She scolded him.

Percy looked at her, his eyes wide and innocent.

She looked deeply into them, and he could see her melting, giving in to temptation.

She leaned down to kiss him, and he met her lips with gusto. They stayed there for a while, drinking in the presence of each other.

Finally Annabeth pulled away, and she whispered, "I love you, Seaweed Brain."

"I love you, too, Wise Girl," he murmured to his girlfriend.

He loved her too much for words, and he was so glad he had her there for him. She was what kept him together, and helped him through the pain. He sighed. Those thoughts always led to Tartarus. And thoughts of Tartarus always led to Bob and Damasen.

Percy fought with his emotions, trying to control them, but he couldn't. All the memories came flooding back to him, and it literally took all his remaining breath away.

_Bob's smiling face, with his crazy silver Einstein hair and eyes._

Percy gasped for air.

_Bob fending off the Arai and trying to heal him._

Percy struggled to breathe.

_The cosy cottage constructed of drakon bits and pieces._

Percy clutched his throat, feeling it block up.

_Damasen riding into battle on his drakon._

"Percy. Percy. It's okay, just breathe. We're together and we're out," Annabeth said to him, but her voice was soft, far away.

_And the hideousness of the god of the pit...Tartarus._

Percy curled up into a ball and retched, but there was nothing in his system to let out. The memories... They were always too much. Always. And he knew they would haunt him, and Annabeth, for the rest of their lives.

Involuntarily, Percy's mind strayed to Nico Di Angelo. Geez, that kid... He gave Percy the creeps. But he respected the guy, because no mediocre demigod could have gotten through Tartarus alone. He and Annabeth had barely survived, and they had been together, with a Titan to help... The thought made him hug his knees tighter to his chest.

He rolled over and faced the porthole of the infirmary. He gazed through the little window, watching the water move mesmerizingly, trying to regain his composure. He breathed deeply, struggling to think of any good things.

"Tell me... Tell me about New Rome, Percy," whispered Annabeth, her voice full of grief.

Percy squeezed his eyes shut and thought... _New Rome. Annabeth. College. Family. _

He calmed himself as much as he could and rolled over again, this time to face the beautiful girl. She was peering at him intently but he could see the worry behind her calm shield. "I... I want us to go live in New Rome. We can-" he stopped suddenly, and shook his head, trying to focus. "We can go to college there. You can study architecture. And me..." He paused, this time thinking. What would he do? Surf? Nope. He wasn't sure he could. Yes, it did involve water, which he was absolutely brilliant with... But, as much as he loved water, he was quite wary of it now. After the Cocytus and the Phlegethon... Well, he wasn't so sure that water was all that great anymore. Sure, this was perfectly normal H2O, and that had been fire and lamentation, but they had still been water. The thought of it made him unwilling to do anything with water again.

"Percy? Percy?" He heard Annabeth talking to him, and shaking him slightly. "Hey, Percy!"

"Mm hmm?" He asked innocently, looking up at her with his sensational sea green eyes.

Again, she gave in to his look. "Percy, I swear, you ever do that agin, and freak me out like that, I'll kill you!" She didn't really sound angry, more worried than anything else.

He was about to pull her towards him when he heard scuffling outside the infirmary. Then he heard rapid fire curses, more scuffling and finally the worst curse of all. Then silence.

Annabeth laughed good naturedly and called to the door, "it's okay Leo, you can come in."

An elvish head peeked through the crack between the door and the wall. Then the body emerged, small and lean, inching towards them.

_Funny_, Percy thought. _The guy hasn't even been scratched_.

"Hey guys," Leo said uncertainly. "I was just going to come in and get some ambrosia and nectar for the others, and well, I saw you two in her and decided not to meddle or interrupt you, and then I waited, and waited and my legs got pins and needles so I tried to shake them out and it didn't turn out right and then-"

"It's okay, Leo! Really," Annabeth shouted above his explanation.

"It's okay, man, just chill," Percy grinned at him. "It's not like you don't know us." He smiled brotherly towards Leo.

But, strangely, Leo returned the smile with a steely light in his eyes like he was angry.

"No, no , really, I feel like I was eavesdropping, and... Yeah," he spoke mainly to Annabeth, shunning Percy.

Percy was hurt. It felt like he had just taken a massive blow to the sternum and was winded horribly. Why was the guy doing this to him. What had he done? Percy racked his brain trying to find the answer, but none came. He had always thought of Leo as a cool, laid back kind of guy. This side of Leo, however, was far from that. It was actually pretty scary. His eyes were blazing with fire, but not the friendly kind. His messy curls seemed almost like those of a killer and his usual mischievous grin had disappeared, and in its place was a scowl. Percy shivered. So many people h knew had changed. Some had turned bitter, and others had become good.

He looked around the infirmary, zoning out, blocking out all noise and concentrating on his breathing. The small porthole was letting in a little natural light, but there wasn't much, as it was in the very early hours of the morning, and the stars were still up. Percy clenched his fist, trying not to slip away.

_Bob... Ugh, no, you idiot, you can't do this, not now!_

He jolted himself back to reality, quickly zoning out again, ignoring his company. The chandelier-like light flickered creepily, and then steadied itself. The walls were smooth oak wood, polished and spotless. The cabinets were also wooden, but a darker brown... Spruce, maybe? They were filled with stores of nectar and ambrosia and a few mortal first aid supplies, like bandages, surgical needles and thread and a few plasters.

**(Band Aids, as Rick says it, and for those who don't know what a plaster is. In any case, you should know.)**

Percy breathed deeply and refocused on his friends. Annabeth was staring at him, puzzled, and Leo was deliberately glaring at a spot just above, and slightly to the left of, Percy's head.

"Are-" Annabeth stopped herself. She sighed, and continued. "Are you okay, Percy? You don't look that great."

"Nah, m'okay, m'okay." He said offhandedly. Annabeth looked at him with a chilly light in her grey eyes, not believing what he had to say.

"Annabeth, I'm fine!"

She glared at him for another few seconds, then walked up to him and embraced him. Her warmth spread through Percy, making him feel better and wanted... He gently disentangled himself from her after a while, and whispered in her ear, "I love you. Don't forget that."

"Why would I?" She replied.

"Just don't, okay?"

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain."

"Uh, guys? How about that nectar and ambrosia?"

"Yeah, whatever Leo," she replied similarly to Leo.

She then walked briskly over to one of the cabinets, swung the door open and snatched a few supplies. She threw them to Leo, saying, "think fast!" And laughed as they hit him on the forehead, adding to his numerous head injuries.

"Gods of Olympus, Leo, don't you know what 'think fast' means?"

"Holy Hephaestus, Annabeth, who knew you could throw so hard?"

"C'mon, Leo, be a big boy!"

A stream of curses was let loose.

"Leo!" Annabeth screamed. "Don't do that!"

"Geez, Annabeth,it isn't as if you don't do it to."

"As a matter of fact, I don't!"

"Yeah, right!"

They carried on for a while, throwing each other comments though sometimes quite unflattering ones.

Percy was silent throughout the entire exchange. He pondered how the seven were going to defeat Gaia. They barely knew each other, which Percy had proven to himself just a few moments before, when he had made the assumption that Leo was a perfectly friendly guy with no dark side. How would they get through this if there was this constant unknown side to every other person?

He interrupted in the middle of Annabeth saying "well, you're a stupid, hot, a-"

"Hey guys," he started, then stopped. L

eo seemed just as confused as he was. "Hot?" He half laughed.

"Yeah, Wise Girl... Hot?" Percy asked, grinning maliciously.

His girlfriend looked at him quizzically, then she gasped. "Oh, gods, I didn't mean it in that way!"

"It sure sounded convincing to me," Percy shrugged.

"Aaaahhhhh," she yelled softly. Then, louder, "what in Hades makes you think I meant it like that?" She demanded of the boys.

"I dunno, hey Annabeth, I really never knew you had that side to you," Leo said, very interested.

"Which brings me to what I was going to say before I questioned your statement," he said, looking pointedly at Annabeth.

"And what might that be, oh Master of Perfection?"

"Gee, thanks Annabeth, what a compliment," Percy smiled to himself. "Anyway, what I was going to say is that, well, the seven of us don't exactly know one each other personally, or even in terms of fighting." He looked expectantly at the other two.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, that's true. But, like, not for me. For you guys, yeah, but I pretty much know everything about everyone," Leo said, this time speaking directly to Percy.

"Percy, wow... I can't believe I ever saw that before," Annabeth comments, but mostly to herself. "That's a huge hole in our plan... So were going to have to mend it." She looked triumphantly at the boys. "We're going to have a day off."

"What?" The boys shouted in unison.

"That's insane!" gasped Leo.

"Annabeth! That's the worst idea you've ever had," Percy stated bluntly.

Annabeth stared daggers at him. He shrunk before her gaze.

In a small voice Percy said, "yeah. Yeah I guess we could do that..."

Leo sighed. "Well, there's no arguing with Annabeth, is there?"

Annabeth smiled a roguish smile.

"Time to have some fun."

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please please please review, it means everything to me :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**So, hi there. Sorry about the delay. Really. It's just that my work load has increased so much I barely have any free time, and much less writing time.**

**So, I have a question to ask. Should I carry on writing even after The Blood Of Olympus comes out? Because I think I've put a pretty unique twist into it, and the book probably won't even come into South Africa until about a month after the release. Please tell me soon. I really would like to know. **

**And to DoA, I love Nymphs and Novels as your sign off. It's very sweet, and that's how I picture you. Sweet. Hehehe. Sorry. Mad moment.**

**Anyways, guys, this is pretty much a filler chapter because I'm useless at writing Frank's P.O.V. Next chapter is going to be either Mageía or Jason. I have something special in mind for Hazel. Not necessarily good, but special. **

**Well, enjoy and please please please review review review.**

Chapter 6

Frank

Frank nearly bit Hazel when the others came into the room.

Yes, it might sound weird, but it was the truth.

Since he and Hazel had bandaged each other up pretty quickly, they had fallen asleep as soon as they finished.

He had no idea why, but he had turned into a bulldog while he had been sleeping. Maybe it was because he slept more peacefully as a dog, or maybe just because he thought Hazel could pet him and cuddle him better.

Woah. Weirdest thought ever. No way he would want that. Or would he?

He had woken up and panicked. So naturally he snapped at the air in front of him and nearly chomped a limb off Hazel's body. She had screamed and yelled and struggled to breathe, but in the end she calmed down and took to stroking Frank's head and scratching him behind the ears. Well, so much for the commotion.

Frank had decided to stay as a canine because he was sure that if he became a human again, he would blush so furiously that he would look like a tomato. He got embarrassed way too much already. He didn't need to be the laughing stock of his team once again.

So, as they came parading into Hazel's room, he just whined at them.

"Hazel," said Piper, "Since when have you had a puppy?"

Hazel laughed good-heartedly. Her laugh warmed Frank all the way into his bones. It was so... Rich... So full of joy and innocence. He loved it with all his heart, just as he loved Hazel.

He sighed contentedly as she continued to pet him.

Hazel said nothing, trying to get Piper to think.

"Oh!" exclaimed Piper. She blushed. "Frank," she scolded. "How dare you do that to me. You made me look like a total idiot!"

Frank whined - although it wasn't a really horrid whine. More of an exasperated whine.

"Geez, man" Percy said, grinning. "What made you think of a bulldog?"

Frank growled playfully.

"Ok, ok, guys, just listen for a moment!" Annabeth said.

Trust Annabeth to ruin the fun. But, actually, Frank knew he couldn't say that, because he didn't really know Annabeth well enough to make that statement. In fact, he barely knew her at all. The only things he did know about her were small things, such as the fact that she didn't eat a lot, she was really, really smart -well, she would be, her mother being the goddess of wisdom- and that she was madly in love with Percy.

Frank had been so lost in thought he hadn't even noticed that Hazel had been trying to talk to him.

"Frank?" She whispered gently to him.

He looked up at her, his eyes wide and innocent.

"Why were you sniffing like that?" She asked looked quite confused.

Frank jerked his head back, making his ears flap about wildly. He looked at her and tilted his head slightly to one side. The he glanced around at the others, who were all staring at him.

He mentally blushed and jumped off Hazel's lap, scampering around her and burying his head in the small of her back.

_Fai Zhang, you brainless boy!_ He heard his grandmother's voice scolding him. _Always making a fool of yourself. And to think that you are your mother's child!_

The thought of his grandmother sent chills down his spine, as though an icy spider was crawling on his back. She had been so hard on him, but it had always been for the best. And now, because of Frank, she was gone.

His thoughts turned to the situation at hand. The others were still silent, waiting for him. He cautiously peeked at them.

He hadn't noticed before, but Jason was carrying Piper in his arms. Piper was wincing at every slight adjustment of Jason's arm. She must've gotten crushed pretty badly.

Percy was standing behind Annabeth with both arms around her waist. Annabeth was absentmindedly twirling a strand of her blond hair on her finger.

Leo was standing in the corner of Hazel's room, looking around confusedly at everyone. He spotted Frank inspecting him and cocked his head to one side, raising his hands to about shoulder level and shrugging.

Frank barked, a strong, quite scary bark that made the walls vibrate. The others stumbled from where they had been standing, bumping into each other and the walls. Piper yelped. Percy grimaced and let out a short breath of air. Annabeth gasped. Leo laughed and then cried out as he fell. And Jason swore. Frank had never heard Jason swear before. He had thought that Jason was a very reserved person. This, though, proved otherwise.

Hazel watched with a bemused kind of look on her face. She shook her head at their friends and turned to Frank.

"D'you want to try and help them?" she asked quietly.

Frank nodded his head vigorously and licked Hazel's nose.

She smiled at him and scratched his ear one last time before he transformed back into his normal self.

As soon as the others saw him they stopped with the commotion and turned to him. He was quite surprised, as he was usually never paid any attention at all.

"Uh- well, you wanted to, uh, tell us something?" He stuttered.

The question hung in the air. Everyone was silent. Frank could hear the gentle waves lapping against the hull of the ship and the constant low humming coming from the engine room.

He coughed, "Uhm, Annabeth? You want to explain why you came marching into our- I mean, Hazel's - room like a stampede of wild animals?"

"You're one to talk, Zhang," Leo grinned at him. Frank blushed and turned away from the elfish boy.

"Oh, sorry about that, really. Uh, well, I wanted to point something out to you. All of you," she started. Then she waited.

"Well, go on," Jason prompted her. "I sure we all want to know what's up."

Annabeth sighed. "The thing is, we don't really know each other. We don't know strengths or weaknesses, fighting styles, hobbies, past life, nothing. Well, maybe one or two things but those are small things. We need to get to know each other, or we'll never get to the end of this alive." She breathed deeply. "Got it?"

"Yeah," they all murmured in acknowledgement.

Then silence. Again.

"But, Annabeth," Hazel said suddenly. "How are we going to do this? We constantly need to be on our guard and we never know what could happen. For all we know, we might have another attack equivalent to that of the one last night. And we won't be able to deal with that, especially if we're off doing our own thing."

Frank loved the way Hazel spoke. She was quite soft and shy, but her words were always so precise, so gentle, so wonderfully full of wisdom. It might've been a bit old fashioned, but it was very sweet. He smiled to himself. How he loved Hazel.

"The good thing, Hazel, is that I've thought about that. Yes, we might not be able to put up with a fight like that if we're all off minding our own business, but we will keep our weapons with us. And also, this will be better for us. A day of relaxing, I mean. All our injuries can't heal and our strength can't replenish if we stay on our feet all day. We'll be better faster than normal, and we will have accomplished a great deal of work. This might not seem so hard, but when you actually get to it, it will be. We have to make choices about what to tell each other, and we must try to get the most information we can across to the others. Otherwise this will all be a waste. It's going to be fun, though. I can promise that."

They all looked around at each other, nodding their heads in agreement.

"You're right, Annabeth. We should stay on our guard, but also have as much fun as possible. It's essential, so I guess we may as well make the most of it," Piper said. "Right guys?" She asked, peering around at them all from her spot in Jason's arms.

"Yep," said Percy, who had, surprisingly, kept quiet the entire time that they had been talking.

Frank glanced at him. He seemed so solemn. So unlike himself. It made Frank feel sort of helpless, because he knew that what Percy was going through wasn't really curable. Percy was such a great friend to him, and had helped him through a lot so, of course, Frank felt indebted to him. He needed to do something about it.

But, back to the matter at hand, he needed to say something. So he did. "Hey, uhm, guys? If we are going to do this, them hadn't we start, like right now? I mean, it is nearly, what- 9? We're going to need a full day."

"Yes. Yes, Frank, you're right," stated Annabeth. Then she frowned. "So, how are we going to do this? Are we going to do it one-on-one or altogether?"

Leo laughed. All heads turned towards him. Then he spread a wild, crazy smile, his eyes sparkling maliciously and his teeth bright white against his bronzed skin. He peeked at each one of them in turn, peering through the mess of his dark brown curls.

Then he said, "Let's play truth or dare."


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey there people! Woah I'm really sorry about the delay. But I have updated and that the point, right? Well I started writing this then stopped when I had done enough, then when I started again, I was grasping at every tiny strand of inspiration I could get... So, to sum it up, this ain't a great chapter, sorry about that.**

**To Annabeth Jackson : aaawwww thanks. I'm so glad you reviewed... It made me all happy inside that you did. Thanks about the compliments, but honestly I not THAT great... **

**Well, guys, keep reviewing and hope you like the chapter more than I do... :)**

Chapter 7

Reyna

Reyna heard herself scream as Nico was pinned to the ground by a hulking mass of black.

She impulsively reached for her sword, which was usually at her belt, but, to her utter dismay, had skittered somewhere else.

She growled in anger. She wasn't going to let Nico suffer. Not when he was her only friend - that is to say, her only...

_Ugh, Reyna, you idiot, stop thinking about him and focus_! She mentally scolded herself. _Just, calm, focused thoughts. Battle thoughts. Not so calm, but not so much to do with Nico either... It doesn't matter! No, it does, this is about Nico and battle and I have to snap out of this stupid state or I'm going to get us all killed. _

That woke her up. She might be prepared to die, but she certainly didn't want to. And the thought that she might kill the others just wouldn't be accepted in her mind. She was a soldier, a praetor, raised to show no mercy and take risks for the greater good... But the truth was that she had feelings.

She widened her eyes and quickly glanced around the clearing, scouring the ground for her weapon. She spotted right in the center of the space, in the midst of the pack of growling beasts.

Tactics raced through her head, preparing her for the encounter. She would have to make a run for it, and risk getting injured in the process, if she was ever going to save Nico.

She sprinted at full speed towards the now stunned monsters. They had probably been anticipating her running away from them, not straight into their arms.

She ignored them and dived in between two of the largest creatures. She snatched up her sword and with a wide swinging motion, me she decapitated one hellhound and with another arc of deadly Imperial Gold, she sliced another in half.

Reyna coughed as they exploded into fine dust and showered her thoroughly.

When she stood up she was covered from head to toe in powdered yellow monster essence. And, quite obviously, face to face with yet another of the hellhounds. They seemed to be replaced almost as soon as they had been killed.

"You want me?" She taunted it. "Well, come get me!" She yelled and took off towards where Nico was lying pinned to the ground by what seemed to be the largest, most powerful hellhound of all.

Maybe the leader, she thought.

And just as the thought clicked into place in her mind, she had an amazing thought.

_Maybe the others are only following what the leader has -what? Said? Anyway, if their leader were to die, they would probably lose all order and either start attacking wildly or scamper right back to where they came from. _

Both ways, Reyna - with a little help from her allies - would be able to take the hellhounds, if only for a little while.

As she neared Nico and the other hellhound, she skidded to a stop and met her charging pursuer and swung her sword, aiming for the beast's chest. She was about to shout in triumph when she saw that she had, in fact, not killed the monster, but infuriated it way past the line.

She eyed the monster and it glared back at her. She started noticing details about the creature: the bloodshot red eyes; the ears, pricked up and searching for sound; the nose, wet and slimy; and the claws, the long, impossibly sharp claws protruding from the monster's paws.

She dared to look it directly in the eye and it snarled, revealing dozens of yellow stained teeth, each probably the size of Reyna's index finger. She caught a horrid stench that smelled of rotting flesh; death and decay.

"Nice doggie," she crooned, as if the massive hellhound was a puppy. "Good doggie..." She stumbled over something as she was walking backwards and peeked down at it to see what it was. A stick. Well, not quite a stick, more of a branch, but that was all the better. She knelt down, not taking her eyes off the monster and grasped the branch tightly in her free hand. She waved it in front of the hellhound. Its head followed the branch, swaying gently from side to side.

Then Reyna lobbed the branch as far as she could and said, "Fetch, boy. C'mon, go fetch." She stuttered to a halt. The hellhound had looked curiously behind it at the branch, then looked menacingly back at her. It now advanced cautiously to the spot where she was standing. She didn't move.

Then, when the monster had seemed to relax, she had screamed and stabbed the monster. Right in its heart. Blood spurted from its maw but it disintegrated before it had the chance to wail in despair.

Briefly, Reyna wondered how long it would take for it to reform and return to the world. Then she started, quite startled, as she had completely forgotten about Nico.

She whirled around, ready to impale the hellhound, and cried out in surprise; Nico was gently fondling the dog behind its ears, whispering to it.

She heard him say, "Good dog. That's a good dog..." His voice trailed off into silence.

He heard the sound of her approaching and jerked his head around to meet her eyes. His own eyes were filled with fear and doubt, his pupils dilated enormously. He mouthed something to her, but she didn't quite catch it. She had never been great at reading people's lips.

She mouthed, "What?" although she whispered it slightly.

But Nico didn't see her. He was too busy concentrating on the enormous hound who was whining for attention.

She saw a bead of sweat slide down the side of his face.

She inched forward. She needed to get close enough to the monster to reach it with her sword.

Just a little closer, she thought to herself.

The hellhound's eyes suddenly widened and it growled as it leaped towards Reyna, crashing on top of her and flattening her to the ground.

That seemed to be its only strategy. Pin it's victim to the ground and wait until it couldn't struggle any more, then kill it.

Reyna tried to wriggle out of its grip but couldn't.

Nico gasped and sat bolt upright but sagged back to the ground, unable to move. Reyna silently cried out to him, trying to catch his attention, but he didn't notice.

She struggled with herself. What was she going to do now? Her mind had blanked out almost as soon as she had seen Nico collapse. She had only an inkling of an idea of what to do, but she was terrified of what might happen. She searched her mind frantically for some alternative, anything, anything at all... She didn't find anything.

So she closed her eyes and let her body go numb. Her entire body lost feeling, all except for her sword arm.

This was a trick she hasn't used in years, not since the first time, when she had succeeded in numbing not only her body, but all her internal organs as well.

She panicked slightly at the thought of that happening again, jolted by the fact that she might not be able to be saved if it happened this time, but she pushed it aside and poured all her strength into her right arm. She took a deep breath and mentally stared at the monster, as she couldn't open her eyes. It growled at her nonetheless, the guttural noise making her heart beat slightly faster than it had been beating before, if that was possible.

She then proceeded to calmly flick her wrist towards the beast's chest. She got an icy feeling all over but she didn't dare do anything until she was sure it was gone.

She started counting to ten.

_One... Two... Three... F-four... _

She felt herself slipping.

_Five... Six... Sev-_

She couldn't let this happen. Nico needed her.

_Seven... Eight... Ni-i-i-ne... TEN! _

And Reyna burst into the moonlight, relieved and scared but whole and alive.

Well, nearly whole.

She knew that much from the searing pain in her shoulder. Instead of checking it, though, she jumped up and half ran, half skipped towards Nico's pale, limp body.

"Nico!" she shouted. "Nico, no!" she cried, almost forgetting everything she had learnt about these situations.

She scrabbled about and grabbed his hand.

"You're so cold..."

She shook her head and rolled up his sleeve slightly. She pushed her fingers lightly onto his wrist. She waited a moment.

It took quite long, but eventually she found the pulse. It was feint and slow, but it was there.

She smiled in spite of herself.

Then she had a weird thought. "Coach Hedge?" she asked the darkness. "Hey, Coach? I need your help."

No response.

She stroked Nico's soft skin once and pushed herself off the ground.

She wandered through the ebony night, guided by the tiny smudge of light on the horizon that was the moon.

Last she remembered seeing him, Coach Hedge had been standing by the Athena Parthenos' feet. So she tiptoed around the clearing to the giant statue's legs and made her way to the base. When she got there, she wasn't surprised not to see Coach Hedge.

He had probably gone off chasing one of the hellhounds with his baseball bat yelling, "DIE!"

She still walked around to the other side of the bottom of the statue and was shocked to see Coach Hedge snoring contently with his head nestled in the one of the many folds of Athena's dress.

"Oh, Mellie. I'm sorry," she heard him murmuring to himself.

_Mellie?_ She wondered who she might be.

_Oh, you stupid girl!_ She scolded herself. _You keep getting distracted now, what's wrong with you? What is happening, that you're acting like this now? This is so unlike you, it's scary. _

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stop the tears. She never cried. What was going on with her, that all of a sudden she had such strong emotions?

Reyna blinked rapidly and straightened up, pulling herself together. She glanced at the strangely peaceful face of the old satyr and thought of the haunted, fair face of the young demigod.

They were both in no condition to help her.

So she was alone, and they were depending on her to get them out of this alive. It seemed like an impossible task but she thought she could do it. She had been through many harsh situations like this, although right now she was exhausted and ready to collapse.

A sharp pain stabbed at her collarbone, and she winced. Her hand whipped unconsciously towards it.

Her fingers dabbled in the thick, endless liquid soaking her collarbone and shoulder. They made swirls in it and seemed to dance across her slick skin. As they did so, she came upon a bumpy, uneven, squishy surface. She poked gently at it and doubled over, the pain shooting through her arm and neck.

She staggered over to where their packs had landed, which was a great distance from where she had been standing.

Every slight movement of her arm seemed like someone was running a knife from the top of her neck to the tip of her fingers.

When she finally sank to her knees to open the packs she slumped forward.

And as she lay there grabbing at her consciousness, she thought to herself, _what now?_

**_Well, I hope you liked it.. Please review! And please, again, tell me whether or not I should carry on with this even after BoO comes out... :) thanks guys :)_**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello. **

**Thank you, for wanting me to continue.**

**you actually gave me a little piece of hope when I was struggling through Tartarus. Real life Tartarus. **

**Im really thankful that you wanted me to continue, and now I'm going to give you the REASON of my not updating.**

**In the last, what, two months?, I have gone through two near death experiences, which I would share with you but would break me even further. Just thinking about them makes me sick. I have also gone through a stage of intolerable depression, which has given me many bad thoughts, and truthfully I've had to cry myself to sleep many a night. I'm also currently writing exams, which brings on a terrifying kind of pressure for me. I've come close to collapsing and even closer to a complete and absolute break down. I'm not asking for you to feel sorry for me or to understand, I'm just asking for you to accept my reasoning and carry on reading my fanfiction as if nothing had ever happened. Even though it is still in its early stages I would like to carry on with it as BoO only just came out as a hardcopy in South Africa a few days ago and I haven't had the time to buy a copy. I look forward to reading it and I look forward to writing my fanfiction even more, if you are willing to carry on reading it. **

**Thanks for taking your time to read my message of regret and apology.**

** you can now start reading my measly excuse of a chapter. **

Chapter 8

Jason

Jason's first impression was a game with a little fun, crazy dares and a few laughs, but what he got was a massive mixture of all things insane.

It turned out that his friends - could he call them that? - really lived on the wild side .

They had moved from Hazel's room to the dining hall and we're now seated, waiting. Annabeth was at the head of the table, to prevent any arguments between Percy and himself; they were always fighting for the head position. On Annabeth's right was Percy, and he was gently twirling Annabeth's long blonde hair between his fingers. On Annabeth's left was Piper, who was holding his hand tightly, all the while staring intensely at the dark wood of the table. On Jason's left was Leo, absentmindedly snapping his fingers and letting the flames run down his fingers and then extinguishing them as he balled his hand into a fist. After Leo was Hazel, who was tracing the table's wood grain pattern with her slender fingers. Between Hazel and Percy sat Frank who was alternating between gazing intently at Hazel and staring thoughtfully through the window.

Finally Percy broke the silence, "So, which version are we playing, then? The normal one, the complicated one, or are we making one up?"

Hazel answered, and she looked quite confused. "Uh, Percy? Care to explain each of them?"

Percy looked at her and tilted his head slightly to one side. He raised his eye rows, making her blush.

"She doesn't know how to play truth or dare, Percy," Frank whispered.

"No, no, I know. Just thinking how I should explain."

Piper cut in then, letting go of Jason's hand. She gestured as she talked. "So, the simple one is where there's only Truth and Dare." She looked at Percy inquisitively.

"Yeah," he said.

Then Leo spoke, his voice filled with mischief. "The complicated one is where it gets fun." He grinned. "You get the usual: truth and dare. And then there's double dare, kiss, command, and torture. You can leave out kiss if you want, but that's how I've experienced it."

Jason spoke up, finally. He couldn't resist. "Leo, when did you play truth or dare? And with who? I honestly never thought you would have played it, especially like that..."

Leo gave him a hard stare. "Listen here, Superman, I'm not that unpopular. And I've lived long enough to play Truth or Dare." His usually playful eyes had a sad, steely glint in them now.

"Sorry, Leo," he replied. He felt really bad. He never knew Leo could take a joke so harshly. Well, he had seemed extremely different since his little adventure. Jason wondered what could have changed him so much.

Piper tried to lighten the mood. "Shut up, already. I think we should play the complicated one. All in favour, raise your... Left foot." She smiled as she swung her left leg out from under the table and let it rest on the wood.

There was a scrambling, scratching and a few klunks and bangs as everyone struggled and shuffled to get their left feet up. Hazel was blushing furiously as Frank tried to get his own leg up, all the while battering her as he strained. She helped him, and when he blushed, she kissed him on the forehead. She got her own leg up and looked around, her eyes finding Jason's and locking on them. He grinned at her and flung his leg up. She giggled and looked away.

Jason barely knew some of the people in the room, but he loved them all the same. They were so entertaining, caring and lovely. He couldn't possibly dislike, much less hate, them.

When everyone was done getting their legs up and their feet on the table, everyone burst out laughing. Leo fell backwards on his chair and let out a strangled cry, but he carried on cackling after a few breaths.

Jason had leant down and tried to help Leo up, but Leo , being the rascal he was, pulled him to the floor. Jason had unfortunately been holding Piper's hand, which resulted in her crashing on top of him. What he didn't know was that Piper had been playing footsie with Percy, and her foot got caught by his foot, so Percy just crumpled onto the pile after her. This wasn't the best thing to happen because Percy had still been playing with Annabeth's hair. So he ended up yanking her off her chair and towards the already enormous pile of epic demigodishness.

Jason gasped for breath. Laughing so hard while under what felt like a ton of teenagers wasn't quite so funny when it resulted in you not being able to breathe. He could only imagine what poor Leo felt like, squirming underneath him and trying to wriggle his way out from under the heap.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. Then everyone, including himself, flew off in different directions, hurled into the corners of the room by his sudden blast of wind.

Percy coughed. "Okay, guys, I think we should start playing now."

Annabeth laughed, "You don't say!"

They all made their way to the table, taking their seats. Funnily enough, they sat in exactly the same order as before. Jason thought it was a coincidence, but he knew it was much more than just that.

"So first things, first-" percy started, but was cut off by Leo.

"I'm the realest! Drop this and let the whole world feel it! 'Cause I'm still in the murder bu'ness I can hold you down, like I'm giving lessons in physics! Right right, you should want a bad boy like this..." He stuttered to a halt. "Why aren't you guys singing along?" His face had fallen and he was looking at them with a hurt look.

"I'm so sassy!" Percy sang, his voice cracking.

The others laughed.

Jason thought he'd join in, but he just had to correct Percy first. "No, no, Percy! It's 'I'm so FANCY! You already know!"

"I'm in the fast lane-"

"From LA to Tokyo-"

"I'm so fancy," the three boys sang together.

They stopped when they heard a loud sigh from Piper. She had folded her arms and was looking grumpy.

"What's wrong Pipes?" Jason asked, looking at her inquisitively.

"It's just that... This place isn't exactly what I'd call comfy, and I'm thinking we're gonna be here a long time," she explained.

"Oh, I almost forgot," exclaimed Leo. "Thanks for reminding me, Beauty Queen." He winked at Piper, but she ignored him. He ran hurriedly out of the room, and returned huffing and puffing, holding a small Bronze device. "Watch the magic, people," he said, and pushed the button on the device.

The table and chairs started folding up, each section flattening and then turning inwards, until the entire table set had been compressed to a box the size of a donut.

There was a collective gasp from the other five, and Jason had to agree with them. That was just... Woah.

Then Leo strode over to the centre of the room and scooped the box up, although he nearly dropped it as him arm sagged back towards the floor. "Still have to work on that, though." He settled for sliding it across the room and setting another tiny box on the floor in front of him. He pressed a second button on the remote and the box started unfolding, revealing vivid, wild colours.

Leo laughed maniacally, like a mad scientist unleashing his new creation. In fact, it was exactly like that.

When the compactable living room had completely unfolded, Jason thought his brain might explode. It really was amazing. This was twice the size of the table and chairs, with triple the amount of furniture and accessories. There was an Xbox, a 56 inch flat screen LED TV, loads of multi-coloured throw cushions and Bean bags, a mattress and even a double seater couch. How Leo had done this was beyond him.

Piper smiled and whispered, "now that's more like it."

"Yeah, buddy, you've really done it this time."

"Leo," Hazel gasped. "This is absolutely amazing!"

Even Frank grinned and congratulated him.

Annabeth was frowning.

Jason called out to her. "Hey Annabeth, what's up?

She looked up and said, "huh? Oh I was just wondering how he did this. It's physically impossible for something so large and with so much volume to compress itself into such a small object."

Percy laughed and turned to Annabeth. "Wise Girl, you do realize the laws of physics don't actually apply to us and our world, right?"

Annabeth let out a sigh of exasperation. "I guess..." She trailed off.

Leo let out a large, comical yawn. "So guys," he started before letting out another enormous yawn. "When are we- hhhhhhh - gonna get started on this game?"

Hazel replied, "well, I have to tell you, you all get distracted pretty easily. One minute we're talking about a game, the next we're debating about the laws of physics? That's just s teensy bit off topic. Don't your think, Frank?" She looked over at Frank. "Frank!" She shouted.

He started, and suddenly shrank, growing smaller and smaller, until he was the size and shape of a mouse. He scampered around and squeaked frantically.

Hazel smiled warmly at him. She always endured all his little accidents so calmly. So lovingly. "Frank, it's ok. Just next time, don't fall asleep standing."

He looked innocently up at her and enlarged himself slightly, transforming into a starling. His beautiful metallic hues shone in the light. He chirped and flew up to Hazel's eye level. He flew around her head three times then settled on her shoulder and nuzzled his head into her coffee brown hair.

Hazel giggled and looked at the others, and said, "so are we going to start, now?"

Leo leaped onto the double couch and stretched his legs, sighing in pleasure. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He opened his eyes and stared directly at Jason. "Well?"

Jason smiled. No matter what his antics, Leo would always be his best buddy. He could be a pain in the butt, but he was still the hilarious genius that he knew and loved.

"I'm coming," Jason said, lifting himself off the ground and floating to one of the bean bags. He let himself drop and he crumpled onto the soft velvet seat. "Coming, guys?"

Then everyone rushed to get a seat. Percy tugged Annabeth along behind him as he dived onto the mattress, making her land on top of him and pulling her in for a kiss. Frank had transformed back into a human and was leading Hazel to an extra large, bright purple cushion. They sat down and snuggled closer together. And finally Piper drifted over to Jason, knelt down next to him, and put her head on his shoulder.

"Ready everybody?" Leo asked.

Everyone nodded.

"I'll go first. Hmmmmm... Percy! Truth or dare?"

"I think I'll take... Dare."

**well, I think that took a bit long and was extremely boring but I'll be back with more in about three or four days. Thanks for reading. :') are you ready to forgive me yet?**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine, guys! Well, it's pretty long, for me, so I hope you all like it. I certainly enjoyed writing this and hope you won't be mad at me for my wicked humor (I hope you see it) or for the Leo thingy... ❤️ Thanks for still reading even though I disappeared for two months. It really makes me happy. **

**Wel, enjoy!**

Chapter 9

Mageía

7 teenagers, aged probably from 13 to 17, were sitting in a haphazard ring, slumped on huge cushions and draped across sofas. They seemed to be having an enormous amount of fun.

As she watched, she saw them all go quiet, except for one choppy haired girl who seemed to be instructing them to do something.

Mageía crept closer, sliding along the wall, trying to hear them better. At last she found a spot where she could hear and watch them quite well.

Just as she got into place, a curly haired, mischievous eyed boy stood up.

"Do I really have to, Pipes?" he asked the choppy haired girl pleadingly.

"Go kiss the wall, Leo," the girl said. She had a strangely enchanting voice, and Mageía felt almost compelled to kiss the wall directly beside her. She saw the others in the circle start to get up, but the girl spoke again, "No, not you guys, only Leo!" They all sat down immediately, and looked to her for further instructions. She shook her head at them.

The boy they called Leo started walking towards her, slowly, deliberately.

She wondered if he could see her. No. He couldn't possibly. It was just a dream.

But as he walked closer and closer she could actually feel his presence, so she started to wonder...

Before she could wonder any further, he quiet suddenly kissed her, full on the lips. She tried to pull away, but he did first. He stared at the spot where she was staring, blinking hard.

"Come on, Leo, that was barely a peck!" called a guy with mesmerizing sea green eyes.

"Yeah, Leo, you gotta hold it, savour it..." whispered the choppy haired girl. She had little braids framing her face, each with eagle feathers stuck onto them at the ends.

Leo stuttered. "I- uh- but... There's- uhhhh- something..."

"Oh, Leo, if you're going to say something, speak now or forever hold your peace!" said a curly haired blonde, who was lying in the lap of the guy with green eyes.

Leo managed to speak, but barely, "there's... There's something there."

The youngest of the seven, a curly haired, cocoa skinned girl, then spoke. "What do you mean, 'there's something there'? She looked at Leo worriedly.

Leo turned and looked at the others. "Hazel," he directed this at the girl that had spoken to him last, "there's something there. As in, something solid and very much alive. It..."

"It what?" asked a blonde guy with short, close cropped hair and faraway blue eyes.

Leo then directed his statement at him. "It felt like a girl."

The others gasped collectively.

"Isn't that technically impossible?" asked a shy looking Asian boy, and although he looked shy, he was definitely buff and built up enough to be a pretty confident guy.

"Oh, dear Frank," Leo said mockingly, "you forget that common technicalities don't always apply to us demigods."

It was Mageía's turn to gasp now, and it was not the right thing to do.

Every head turned in utter astonishment toward the place where she was standing, quite a few jaws dropping.

"Tell me you didn't hear that," said Leo softly.

There was a silence that seems to last forever, and during that period of silence, Mageía inspected each of the teenagers quite carefully.

She started with Leo. He had flawless, tanned skin, and the most sweet eyes that reminded Mageía of the melted chocolate in the processing machines in patisseries and sweet shops she had passed once or twice. He had a slightly pointed, small nose, and elfish ears. His thin lipped mouth was hanging slightly open, revealing teeth of a dazzling white. His curly brown hair was messed up in quite a cute way. He was admittedly short and scrawny, with a bit of muscle definition, but Mageía fell in love with him almost immediately. She couldn't take her eyes off him, but eventually, and reluctantly, turned to look at the others.

The girl who had first spoken had medium length, unevenly layered, Nutella coloured hair. Her eyes were fascinating, as they were a mixture of all different colours, ranging from bright blue to gold. Her head was tilted to one side, resting on a slim shoulder. She was beautiful in a ragged sort of a way, with a lean body and an intense expression.

The boy who sat next to her looked about 16, maybe 17 and had silvery blonde hair, with a jagged graze through it on one side of his head. His sky blue eyes had an inquisitive look in them, and his eyebrows were furrowed as if he was deep in thought. He had a square jawline and a fit, defined body.

The couple next to them were siting cross legged and holding each other's hands. They were looking intently at the spot where Mageía stood and their heads op and shoulders were touching. The girl, Hazel, was maybe around 13 or 14 while the guy -was his name Frank?-was at least 15. They were a strange combination of a petite, dark skinned, frizzy cocoa haired girl and a large, buff, creamy skinned, straight black haired guy, but they were obviously in love. It was a cute, innocent love, and Mageía admired it very much.

She turned her attention to the last couple, who were lying in such a way that they were entwined and looked inseparable, although their eyes spoke volumes. They were haunted eyes, filled with unimaginable horrors and deep with emotion. They were also filled with love and compassion, hatred and weariness beyond their years. The girl's long, curly blonde hair lay in a pool of tresses around the guy's legs. They were both quite slender, but they were lean. Their cheeks were almost sunken and they had bags around their eyes. Mageía could have stared at them forever, drowning in their misery and hardships, but she yanked her attention away and turned back to Leo.

It hadn't exactly been that long. A few seconds maybe, a minute at most.

Then the one called Hazel gasped. "It is a girl..." She then smiled and asked, "What's your name?"

"Mageía... And you're Hazel, right?"

"Yes. How long have you been here?" she asked, frowning.

"Only since, uhm, you," she said, pointing to the girl Leo had called Pipes, "dared Leo," she looked at Leo," to kiss the wall." She continued, "Can you see me?"

"Yes," was the reply from Hazel, Frank, Annabeth and Jason.

"How come you guys can see her?" the boy with the haunted eyes complained.

Hazel held out her hand to him and gently said, "here, Percy, if you really want to see her, take my hand."

Percy grinned foolishly and reached out his hand in a soft gesture, only to yank Hazel's hand towards him and send her toppling forward. He then excitedly turned to the spot his -Mageía took it that the blonde girl was his girlfriend- girlfriend was looking.

"Hi," he said naughtily, flashing her an evil grin.

"Percy," the blonde girl said warningly.

"I was just playing Annabeth," he said, looking at her with his irresistible eyes wide open and his mouth in a pout.

"Oh, Seaweed Brain, you know that'll never work."

"It's worked before, Wise Girl."

The girl with the beautiful eyes suddenly shrieked in delight. "Oh, she's a pretty one, isn't she?" Then her cheeks reddened and her eyes squeezed shut.

Leo glanced at her and burst into fits of laughter.

The blonde guy whispered, "Piper, your Aphrodite is beginning to show..."

Piper punched him, albeit lightly, on the arm. "That's not fair, Jason."

"What's not fair?"

"Well," she floundered for words. "My mother is Aphrodite and your father is Zeus you don't even have to do any comparing and statistics and what not it is just not fair and this might be a weakness and a fatal one at that and now here I am blundering around showing off my Aphrodite skills and being an absolute dumb blonde!" Her voice rose steadily, and she said all this without pausing or taking a breath, and Jason's pupils slowly constricted to pin points as he listened intently to her. But her voice dropped as she looked at Annabeth. "No offense, but it's just that most blondes are stupid. Most glide girls, that is," she added hurriedly, glancing at Jason. But Jason was far from reasoning with and so he simply nodded his head and started to drool. "Oh, I've made a mess of things, now," Piper groaned.

When a Leo next turned around to face Mageía, he first stared, then quickly pulled his eyes away, before succumbing to curiosity and peering once again into Mageía's face.

Mageía found him so adorable. It was a shame this was only a dream.

"You kissed me," she whispered, blushing furiously.

Leo smiled, then frowned, then a sudden realization hit him and he looked down with a troubled expression on his face.

Mageía sighed a long, melancholy sigh. And her dream dissolved.

Mageía woke up drenched and shivering.

"It's about time you woke up," Willow scolded her playfully. "Even I know that you overslept. And overslept doesn't even cover it. You should have been out of here a few hours ago."

Mageía heard Aeschylus' laugh in her mind.

Willow smiled.

"So you can hear him?" asked Mageía.

"Yes. His voice is kind of hard to miss."

Mageía grinned at her. "Oh really, now?"

Willow blushed a dark green.

_As much as I am enjoying listening to your conversation,_ Aeschylus began saying, _don't you think we should get out of the rain?_

"Yes. Yes, I think we should. Is that why I'm wet?" said Mageía slowly.

"Yes," replied Willow. "We should probably get you some new clothes. You'll get a cold if you stay outside much longer with your clothes soaked that badly."

_But, Willow, we don't have any money,_ Aeschylus started saying.

"You forget who you're with, Aeschylus," Mageía said sneakily.

And what's that supposed to mean?

"I'm just the person you need in this sort of situation. Willow, where's the nearest clothing store?"

"Just down the road," Willow replied innocently. "Why?"

"Well, I do need new clothes, don't I?"

_This doesn't sound good at all..._ Aeschylus' voice trailed off.

"Well, come on, guys, let's go then," Mageía said, hopping to her feet. She was so thrilled to be able to do this again... It had been way too long. "Besides, I need a little practice once in a while, wouldn't you say?"

"For what, Mageía?" Willow asked sternly.

"Oh, you just wait, you'll see now now", Mageía said infuriatingly. "Are you coming?"

Willow said nothing, but got steadily to her feet and stood staring wide eyed at Mageía.

"Well, here goes," Mageía said, before taking off at full speed, running around trees and leaping over rocks, dodging park benches and ducking under low hanging branches.

When she came to the end of the park, she looked over her shoulder and pointed left and right, as if to ask which way to go. When Willow pointed right, she bolted down the road and her senses took over. Her eyes scanned the rows of buildings, searching, while her ears listened for any sound of approaching danger; even at this early hour of the morning, monsters were all around, and people were, too. She spotted the store, which, quite ironically, had large purple spots covering its sky blue exterior and interior.

Just like that monster from Monsters Inc., she thought, glancing up. Strangely, the shop's name was Monster Maniac. Strange name for a store...

She cautiously approached the door. She swirled around, checking if anyone was following her. She flinched as Willow and the orb came into view. Thank the gods, she mouthed to herself.

Mageía turned back to the door, inspecting it. It was locked, no doubt, but she could solve that problem. She checked it by slowly turning the handle. As anticipated, it was locked. Mageía reached into one of the pockets in her pants and pulled out a paper clip. She carefully unfolded it so that it wasn't curled up anymore, but artfully bent to her advantage. Inserting it's edge into the oblong hole of the lock, she wiggled it around a bit. Expecting it to unlock, she took the paper clip out and turned the handle. The door didn't budge.

Ugh, she thought, I really do need to do this more often. I'm getting a bit rusty.

Mageía sighed and shoved the paper clip back into the hole, deeper this time, shaking and wiggling it harder and more violently. It took a lot of jerking movements to finally hear the faint click, which was almost drowned out by Mageía's frantic rattling of the door - and her puffs of air that came as a result of irritation. Hearing that sound overjoyed Mageía, and she happily yanked the paper clip out of the keyhole and threw it over her shoulder, before grabbing the handle of the door and pulling it open.

"Finally," she whispered to herself.

She crept into the dark, shadowy building and her eyes did a quick sweep of the room. With nothing threatening in sight, she grinned and started picking her way through the racks of clothing.

The first thing she took, however, was a pair of matt black Doctor Marten's, patterned with stacks of skulls and roses. As soon as she saw them she rushed to them, picked them up and spun in a circle with them clutched in her crushing embrace. She sniffed deeply, taking in their smell, all the while staring adoringly at the pair of boots.

After this display of affection, Mageía proceeded to yank a black leather biker jacket - with the sleeves ripped off and the edges frayed, silver zips running all along the seams, and spiked adorning the back in the shape of a grinning skull - off its hanger, only to drape it unceremoniously over her arm. She then snatched a pair of white, fluffy ankle socks (one could not live without clean, dry socks) and a pair of scarlet jeans, splattered with bright green paint and with scattered holes and rips. She spotted a gorgeous black, long sleeved shirt, with the image of a wolf snarling on it and with the sleeves slightly extended and wider at the wrists, on a plastic model. It was the only one in sight, so Mageía settled for totally disassembling the model and pulling the shirt off.

Now that her clothing was gathered, she sneaked into the accessories and makeup department and grabbed a kajal pencil and miss manga mascara along with a blood red lipstick, a pair of heart shaped earrings and a snake shaped ring that curled in such a way it looked like the snake would be wrapped around one's finger. Mageía looked around and dove into a shelf full of scarves, earmuffs, beanies and gloves. She slipped her hand into the pile of wool and brought out a grey and black beanie and a pair of fingerless gloves.

Her outfit was complete! Giggling with excitement she sprinted into a changing room and speed dressed into her new clothes. She carefully -albeit hurriedly- applied a touch of kajal and mascara and touched her lips with red.

Mageía said sighed as she finished her makeup. Why do I do this? she asked herself. Why do I change myself like this?

Unbidden, another voice spoke, seeming to come out of her very being. _You're terribly ugly, that's why,_ it said, almost in a bored, 'I've-been-over-this-a-million-times' tone.

Mageía sighed again, as she knew this was the truth. She knew she was ugly and fat and stupid and good for nothing. At least she felt that way. She'd always felt like that. Her self-consciousness had been there, in the blackest parts of her mind, festering and waiting to strike her down whenever she needed to be focused. And now it was distracting her again.

She put on her earrings and ring, glanced at her reflection in the mirror and stepped out of the room, leaving her old clothes in a wet pile on the floor.

Looking once more around the store, she spotted a travel section. She hurried to it and started shuffling through the racks and shelves of merchandise.

"That's a pretty outfit you found, Mageía," she heard Willow's voice coming from the doorway.

"Thanks, sweetie," she replied, snatching a small army print backpack from its hook on the wall.

"Oh, it's no big deal. Say, how'd you get in here?"

"I picked the lock. I told you I was just the person you needed for this type of thing." Mageía shifted through a pile of fold up accessories and pulled out a folding plastic hairbrush. She shoved it into the backpack and continued looking. "Willow, why don't you come here and help me with this? There's a ton of stuff here that we could use, but I'll never get it all without a little help."

"Oh, no, I don't think so. That's stealing, and I'd rather not do anything unethical. But you could make up for it, maybe by leaving some money on the counter," came Willow's voice.

Mageía couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something was definitely wrong. It wasn't that she was stealing; she'd had to steal many times in the past and had been doing so ever since she could remember. Maybe it was the tone of Willow's voice. It seemed slightly hostile, which was a tone of voice Mageía could never picture Willow ever using. "I suppose," was her reply.

Mageía finished fishing items out of the piles and rows in the corner of the shop and closed the backpack. "I think I've gotten enough supplies for about two weeks. We're going to have to stop somewhere to get food, though, and if it means that much to you, I'll pay for it, too."

Suddenly, as if a barrier bad been broken, Aeschylus spoke in her head, urgently and worriedly. _Listen to me, Maggie, don't turn around just yet. Get your sword out, slowly, so she won't see it coming. Then turn quickly and slash upwards. You have to do this Mageía, your life - and Willow's - depends on this. Trust me._ Then his voice was gone, and an invisible wall stood once again, blocking her thoughts from him, and vice versa. He'd spoken so fast (and taken about 3 seconds in all) Mageía didn't know what to make of the situation.

She didn't want to listen to him. She was still angry with him, and really didn't want to be humiliated in front of him and Willow. She took her sword out -just as a precaution- but didn't bother to hide it.

Mageía turned around and stiffened.

"It's alright. I don't think you'll be stealing again quite so soon, my dear," Willow's voice emerged from the great figure. Then another voice, deeper, more gravelly - but still feminine - spoke, "Or ever again."

That was the last thing Mageía heard before she blacked out.

**Did you see the humor? Or am I the only one who thinks that's funny? Oh, my dirty, dirty mind. Well, thanks for reading, I'll uplate in two or three days, depending on what exams I'm writing. **

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	11. Chapter 10

**To Kfromcabin6 - thanks, but you'll see about those two in time. By the way, your review made me cry. Happy tears. **

**Hope you like this impossibly short chapter... Enjoy!**

Chapter 10

Nico

Nico found himself lying curled in a ball on the ground in the middle of the clearing.

His body ached and he was sure he was bruised in several places, and cut in many other spots, too.

He hadn't yet opened his eyes fully, so closed them again and breathed in deeply. His thought wandered to last night's events. He'd never felt so helpless in all his life. He could've summoned an army of skeleton warriors, or used the Scepter of Diocletion. He could've cracked the earth and let the hounds fall into Tartarus. He could have done so many things so differently, but he just couldn't muster enough strength to do anything. And now he felt his guilt and building up inside him. He couldn't afford to let the others know, but he should apologize nonetheless.

Opening his eyes again, wider this time, he blinked hard as his they accustomed to the bright light shining into them. Vaguely, he wondered what time it was.

Looking around, he saw Reyna, sitting cross-legged and tending a merrily crackling fire. On opposite sides of the fire, two sticks were embedded in the earth, and supported a third lying horizontally across the fire. Hanging from the stick was a small pot, although where it had come from, Nico had no idea.

Studying Reyna carefully, he saw dark bags under her eyes, which were heavy with exhaustion. She probably hadn't slept at all. Her lips were slightly parted and her face was scratched. Her one shoulder was bandaged, but Nico couldn't tell which - his senses had failed him and he couldn't tell which was left and which was right. The bandage wasn't doing much, though, and it was soaked with Crimson blood. That was why she was so pale. She might die of blood loss if it kept bleeding that heavily.

With that thought in mind, Nico stretched his arms and sat up. He slid his legs underneath him and stood up, but was quite unsteady at first.

Reyna looked up and smiled (almost drunkenly) at him. Then she looked back down and continued to watch the pot.

Nico staggered over to her, astounded at how weak he felt. He plopped down next to the girl and put his hands out to the fire, trying to imitate something thought would usually be done on a camping trip. He wouldn't have done it if it weren't for Reyna; he didn't like heat that much. Only as much as was needed to survive, but other than that, he had a thing for the cold.

"Cosy little fire you have here," he said to her in a singsong voice.

"You think so?" Reyna replied, her voice hoarse and so soft he barely heard her.

"Yeah. What you got there? And where'd you get the pot from?"

"Oh, it's just a little soup for us to eat. I got it from Coach's supplies. The pot, too. He seems to have nearly everything in his bags."

"Nearly everything?"

"Yeah, I even saw a bottle opener, a pair of reading glasses and a scrapbook. I wonder why he would need all that when we're on a life or death trip that decides the fate of the world. It's a bit strange, don't you think?"

"Yeah. Did you happen to find and nectar or ambrosia in there?"

"Yeah, there's plenty, it's right over there," Reyna replied, pointing at a pile of zip-seal packets on the other side of the fire.

Nico scooted over to the packets and opened one of them. Reaching his hand into the packet, he pulled out a squashed cube of ambrosia and started eating. It tasted like cookies his mom had baked all the time when he and Bianca were kids. Walnut cookies with a hint of sugar. He couldn't bare the taste as it reminded him too much of his childhood, his mother and his sister. They were all gone now, washed away in the incredible tide of events that had come out of nowhere. He quickly swallowed the rest of the ambrosia and felt a warm surge all over his body.

"Here, have some," he told Reyna, reaching his hand out to pass her the packet.

She shook her head. "I've already had way too much. I almost burned up, to be truthful."

Nico looked at her, his incredulity evident on his face. He didn't even try to hide it. "But-" he stammered, gaping wide eyed at her wound. "But it's still bleeding! And badly, too! Shouldn't it have at least lessened by now? You're going to die if doesn't stop bleeding."

Reyna took this very calmly. Almost too calmly. "I'm also going to die if I have any more ambrosia - or nectar, for that matter."

Nico couldn't believe this. How could she be so- how could her mind be so- peaceful? Even when she knew that she could die? Nico didn't know what it was, but he had a strong feeling about this strange Roman. There was something about her that just struck him as familiar. And he wanted to protect her. Keep her safe so he could learn what it was.

He looked her straight in the eyes and said, very seriously, "Reyna, you are not going to die! You aren't, okay? Do you hear me? I swear to all the gods that I will not let you die. I swear on the river Styx I won't let you die. So you're going to stop with all this about you dying, and focus on actually not dying. Because, whether you like it or not, I actually need you right now. I'm only 14. I've lost so many people, had to endure so many disappointments, more than a lot of people. I don't think I'd be able to deal with losing another person who I quite like and respect, too. I really don't. I'd pretty much be alone, again, fighting for my life and for those of others, but I'd feel so useless, so terrible - even more so than I already do - because I wasn't able to help any of the people I could actually count as friends. Please, Reyna, please, don't say things like that. I know you didn't see it before, but that's because I didn't want you to. I didn't want anyone to see that I was breaking. I had to look okay for everyone. I had to seem like the same, strong, down-to-earth person that I was thought to be before. So now that you know, and now that I've given my life to keeping you alive, don't agitate me like that because the results won't -and will never be- pretty. Just please, don't ever do that again. Never again."

Nico then broke his eye contact with Reyna, turned around, and sprinted into the nearby trees, wanting to lose himself in the endless trunks and branches.

Just as he reached the edge of the forest, he whirled around, and saw Reyna staring at him, her eyes no longer blank, hiding emotion, but filled with something else. Was it compassion? Pain, maybe? Nico didn't have long enough to say for sure. He spun around again and dashed off into the forest.

As he crashed through the forest, giving himself more cuts and bruises, he pondered what had just happened. He had never -never- done anything remotely like that before. It was frightening to see how much his feelings had actually built up inside him. When they were released in that brief moment of panic, only a tiny bit of them had been released. And Nico knew this because h could still fell them churning inside him, trying to break him, struggling to get through the barrier that he had erected.

Nico let out a strangled cry, unable to hold it in. He bit his lip to stop himself opening his mouth to let out the horrid sounds of despair and hatred. He bit it so hard he heard a faint crunch, and started to taste blood. He ignored it and kept his teeth firmly clamped on his bottom lip.

_Just a little bit further,_ he thought to himself. _Then I'll stop. _

So he went on a little bit further, and with each step he found that he was weighed down even more than the last. When at last he came to a little clearing, about 3 meters in diameter, he dropped to his knees and slumped forward, banging his head on the ground. He rolled onto his back and lay, convulsing. His jerky movements pained him, but it was the only thing holding back the torrent of emotions.

_No_, he thought, _this can't be it. This can't be me breaking. I can't afford to break now. I've given my life to her_. He couldn't bear to even think of her name. But he had to protect her. How could he do that if he was scared of himself?

All of a sudden, he felt like he was choking, being strangled, and he couldn't breathe properly. He tried to suck in air, but he couldn't; his throat was blocked. In desperation he tore off his shirt, flinging it away from him, as if it was the one that had been strangling him. But the choking continued.

Nico dug his fingers into the skin at his throat. It hurt, but it seemed to be stopping his being unable to breathe. He clawed at his skin, which was now slick with sweat caused by the exertion of struggling with his emotions and now not being able to respirate.

His eyes burned, and slowly, inevitably, a tear rolled down his cheek. It was hot, and it brunt it's way through the thin layer of perspiration on his face, and it dropped into his open mouth. It tasted salty, and the sensation made him cringe. He had never tasted his tears before. And he sure as Hades didn't like it. He didn't like suffocating to death, either.

But, gradually, his throat began to unclog, his respiratory system starting to work once again.

When he could finally breathe properly, he lay, stiffly, on his back, staring up at the unrelenting sun. It's rays beat down on him, making his skin hot and sticky. He still had one hand on his neck, gently massaging it, trying to rid himself of the sickening feeling. He was going to rub his skin raw if he kept at it, but he couldn't stop thinking about that degrading feeling of nearly dying. Yes, he might know tons about death, but in actual fact, he didn't know enough to know what death actually felt like. And he didn't want to know either.

"Nico," he heard his name spoken softly by a girl he couldn't see. It wasn't Reyna -he shuddered at her name- it was a younger girl, with a more motherly voice. One he was all too familiar with.

"Bi- Bianca?" he asked haltingly.

"Yes, it's me, Nico. You've grown. You really have."

Nico gasped in astonishment and disbelief. "I thought you'd been born again, into a new life! How come you're here?" Nico's voice was filled with anguish. He had looked for his dead sister everywhere, but hadn't found her. He'd been told she'd chosen to be reborn. This wasn't right.

"I did want to. But..." Bianca di Angelo's voice trailed off.

"But what?" Nico asked softly, gently. He couldn't bear his sister sounding so forlorn.

"I- well, it's just that- Nico, it's never happened before, I don't know why it happened with me, but it just did!"

"What happened, Bianca?"

"The body I was supposed to be transferred to rejected my spirit." Bianca said it so quietly a Nico had to strain to hear her.

"What do you mean by 'rejected'?"

"It wouldn't accept my spirit. The baby was dead when it was born because it had no spirit. And the funny thing is, I actually saw it. I saw the mother -the woman who was going to be my mother- holding the baby, sobbing, calling out her name. 'Lydia! Lydia, my baby! No... Lydia, darling, wake up!' It's still ringing in my head. The baby should have still lived, even without a spirit. But it couldn't. So I watched my future body lying, cold and still, being cradled by my future mother, after the doctors couldn't get it to breathe. I haven't known what to do with myself ever since then. So when I felt your spirit being pulled towards Elysium, I came to you. I can't let you die. Not now, after all you've been through to survive, all the friends you've made. You don't deserve to die..." Bianca's voice trailed off into the silence.

Nico had been staring at her ghostly apparition dazedly while she had been speaking. Now he sat, still staring, with the silence so intense that it was pressing down on his eardrums.

"But, Bianca... How?"

"I don't know, little brother. All I know is I'm back to being a ghost. And I'm not going to try for another life. Ever again."

Nico tried to lighten the mood, "Hey, technically, my physical age is older than you, so I'm the-"

"Yeah, well, you keep dreaming! I'll always be your big sister, no matter how old you are."

Nico smiled then, a sad smile, filled with longing, but it was a smile nonetheless.

**Impossibly short, isn't it? Well, I didn't have much inspiration, but the next chapter will come in 2 or 3 days. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


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